


Waiting

by celestialenigma



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, America, Austria, England - Freeform, Germany, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Verse, also has:, at all, everybody else is a jerk, hungary - Freeform, hungary and austria are good friends to prussia for once, no underage relationship or sex, other minor characters as well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-11-04 16:07:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 37,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10994337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialenigma/pseuds/celestialenigma
Summary: Gilbert is an alpha who has not found his soul mate, has never smelled that intoxicating scent; has never felt that throb in his heart. Inwardly lonely, he continues to live his life until he attends the role unveiling ceremony of his best friend Francis’ son Matthew, a child he has known for years. Gilbert is appalled to find out that his soul mate is simply a ten year old boy but vows to wait until the omega reaches the age of majority at seventeen. Then the boy is raped by a stranger and everything changes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Hetalia Big Bang Event.
> 
> I know I have no business writing a story when I have so many unfinished. But I couldn't frickin' help myself and signed up. That meant I HAD to finish this at least. ^^;
> 
> NOTES: This does not have ANY shota AT ALL. This does, however, have a large age gap in a relationship. In this world the age of majority and consent is 17.
> 
> I'd like to also point out that I wrote this based on my own experiences with sexual assault in mind. Not everybody recovers in the same way. The road to healing for some of us isn't a drama worthy of a based on real life tv-movie. It's internal and kind of boring to the outsider's perspective. As a result, I don't end up going into huge detail when it comes to Matthew's recovery. In fact, Gilbert stole the spotlight in regards to recovering from what he'd encountered when Matthew gets assaulted and the aftermath.
> 
> Also, everybody is super suspicious and mostly everybody is an asshat. Just so you know. 
> 
> If you've read my other stories with Prussia, you know I may write him a bit differently than what you are used to. 
> 
> Sooooo, enough blabbering from me. On with the story

Chapter One

 

A blond alpha male sat in grey faux leather chair, hair dishevelled, and bloodshot blue eyes. The man’s breath came in rapid bursts. In his arms was a bundle wrapped in warm white cotton blankets, a little blue knit cap covering the small head. 

“She’s dead,” said Francis, words whispered but falling heavy into the cold hospital room that was heavy with the scent of antiseptics, “She didn’t even make it through the birth. Matthew had to be cut out. He barely made it himself.”

Gilbert didn’t know what to say. He looked over at their other friend, Antonio, who was equally shocked and confused. 

“She was only barely eighteen and she bled to death,” continued Francis, without even a glance up to his friends, just stared down at the bundle of fabric and sleeping baby.

Both Gilbert and Antonio, moved at the same time, went behind Francis, and placed a hand on his back. The distraught man’s shoulders shook and tears rolled down his cheeks, a single fat drop landed on the infant’s forehead. 

The baby awoke, eyes popped open to reveal hazy violet. The tiny face scrunched up and the infant began to wail. Francis didn’t move to sooth the child, simply cried, sobs loud and broken, and trembled harder. 

Gilbert, ever a man of action, said, “I’ll take the kid, Tony can you...?”

Antonio nodded, knowing what was meant of him and wrapped his arms around Francis as soon as Gilbert slipped the baby away from it’s father. 

Now Gilbert just needed to figure out what to do with a kid. He himself was just seventeen and hadn’t yet found his mate, not that such an occurrence was odd. Usually people found their mates before they turned twenty. Francis was lucky to have found his mate as soon as he turned seventeen and could detect their mating scent. They became pregnant soon after, a surprise that wasn’t unwelcome. However they were the first from their group of friends, their entire school even, to have had a baby. As such, Gilbert really had no idea what to do with a baby. 

He rocked the bundle back and forth, ears still full of the high-pitched cries of his friend across the room. He sniffed the air over the baby and didn’t think the diaper was dirty.

Thank god. 

Gilbert did not want to change some kid’s shitty diaper, though he would to help his friend. If he had to. 

Then he felt a tap on his shoulder.

He turned around to see the sympathetic eyes of a nurse who eyed the loud, squirming bundle in Gilbert’s arms. 

“It’s time for Matthew’s bottle. He’s hungry. Would you like to feed him for your friend?” asked the male omega nurse. 

Gilbert said, “Yeah sure.”

Then he took the warm glass bottle and tilted it to the infant’s lips. Immediately the baby began to drink, eyes fluttered between open and closed, quiet. Finally, with the child silent, Gilbert could take a look at his features. 

From under the knit cap were short blond curls that were just like both of his parents. His violet eyes opened fully at that point and the baby seemed to stare right up at Gilbert. There was something weird about the kid that confused Gilbert. He wanted to protect the child. Keep him from harm.

He had no idea why. 

Maybe he just felt sorry for the brat for having just lost his omega parent. 

Sitting down on a free chair, Gilbert rested the kid down on his lap and watched Matthew eat, chubby little cheeks flushed. The baby slowly began to slacken his eating and his eyes slid shut as sleepiness became more important than finishing his bottle.

This wasn’t so bad. 

Gilbert couldn’t wait to find his mate and maybe one day start a family. A baby would be pretty awesome if it was as adorable as Matthew.

#

“Seriously? He’s your mate?” said Gilbert, eyebrow raised at Antonio as he stared across the cafe at a grumpy man who stomped his feet in frustration at something.

“Hey! Lovi’s cute and sweet. You’ll see once you meet him,” said Antonio.

Francis looked away from the toddler seated between him and Gilbert and said, “He’s yelling at a box of sugar packets. Are you sure he’s all there - y’know?”

Francis gestured at his own head and twirled a single finger. 

Gilbert snorted with laughter. 

“Just be nice,” said Antonio, attention barely paid to his friends by that point and stared lovingly at a brown haired man who stormed over.

“There you are! Took me forever to find this fucking place,” said Lovino the words yelled, causing glares from the other patrons.

Francis frowned and said, “Hey, watch your language.”

At the same time as Francis said that, Matthew whispered, “Bad words.”

Gilbert was the only one who heard and ruffled the toddler’s curls, “Yep. That man is cussing.”

“Why the hell do you care if I swear or not?” said Lovino, plopped himself down on the seat beside Antonio, and promptly took a sip of his drink.

Finger pointed down at the three year old, Francis said, “My son is sitting right here.”

Matthew’s head was hardly higher than the edge of the table and he was so quiet, easily overlooked by the Italian omega whose eyes widened at just noticing the child. The small child hunched his shoulders and bit his lower lip before he hid his face in his father’s sweater, only peeked out every now and again to look at the stranger. 

“Oh shit, I mean crap,” said Lovino, “I didn’t see the kid there. Uh, so that makes you Francis?”

With a nod, Francis said, “Indeed it does and my son’s name is Matthew.”

Though he pronounced it Mah-chew.

Lovino then looked at Gilbert and said, “So you’re the one without a mate?”

Antonio poked his mate and whispered, far too loud to even really be considered quiet, “That’s rude Lovi.”

Smiling ruefully, Gilbert let out a raspy laugh and then said, “Yep. That’s me. Too awesome to be tied down.”

Eyes averted from his friends, Gilbert felt like crap when it seemed like everybody else in the cafe was a happy couple. As if it was bad enough that he was twenty-one and hadn’t yet found his mate. 

No. Screw it. He didn’t care about that. He was just fine how he was. 

“I’m going out to have a smoke,” announced Gilbert, loudly as he stood at the same time. 

Coat snatched from the hook beside their booth, he trudged outside and plopped down onto a bench just under the large coffee shop window. He tapped the bottom of the semi-crumpled pack of cigarettes and put the filter of the revealed smoke into his mouth and took it out. He lit it up and took a deep drag. Instead of thinking, Gilbert just followed the wisps out grey smoke as they lifted into the blue sky.

He had no idea how long he’d been outside when he felt a tap on his knee, light and hesitant. Gilbert looked down into big violet eyes.

“You sad. Got cookie for you,” said Matthew and presented a large chocolate chip cookie held in both hands.

Francis stood a few feet away and looked amused at the whole situation. Matthew just stood still, patient as he awaited for his gift to be accepted. 

Mouth cracked into a lopsided smile, Gilbert snubbed out the cigarette and took the offered treat. He patted the seat beside him, “Go back inside Franny, I’ll watch the brat.”

Once Francis was gone, Gilbert broke the cookie in half and gave the bigger piece to Matthew, whose eyes lit up. The boy bit into the soft baked good with relish and got chocolate on his face almost immediately. 

With a chuckle, Gilbert began to eat as well. This cute kid was going to be the death of him, he knew. 

#

Matthew kicked the sand under his feet, watched as a plume of the dust puffed up in front of him. Nobody else was on the playground, so he wasn’t worried about getting sand in another kid’s eyes. It was late and the sun had almost set but Matthew wasn’t thinking about that.

Tears threatened to spill down his cheeks and he sniffled. He rubbed the sleeve of his shirt over his eyes and then walked over to the swing. Matthew sat down and let it ever so slowly swing him from the force of him sitting down. He just stared at the track marks from feet on the sand, a forgotten pink shovel to his right, a pile of stones to his left between the two swings. 

He looked away when a familiar somebody sat on the swing beside him.

“Francis is worried sick about you,” said Gilbert who always used papa’s name when he spoke to Matthew. 

No other grown up did that. It was always papa this and papa that. Gilbert was weird that way but nice. 

Matthew, however, didn’t care about his papa right then. He was mad. 

“I don’t care,” said Matthew and began to pump his legs as furiously as his six year old self could in order to start the movement of the swing. 

“Okay,” said Gilbert and also started to swing and stared at the sky as he did so.

They were quiet for a good long while, Matthew knew he was more quiet than other kids his age. But even he couldn’t hold his tongue forever and his little mind felt full to bursting.

“I don’t want a new omega parent and I don’t want a stupid older brother,” said Matthew and gripped the swing chains as hard as he could.

“Having a brother isn’t so bad. I have one and he’s pretty great,” said Gilbert.

“But he’s your real brother. Alfred’s not.”

“What’s so wrong with him?” asked Gilbert.

Matthew pouted, “He hogs all of the toys. He snores. He doesn’t let me watch what I want on tv. He eats all the candies. He’s stupid.”

Gilbert laughed and said, “Sounds serious.”

Slumped in his seat the boy allowed the swing to slow to a stop, Matthew eventually said, “It is.”

“Well then what about Arthur? Having a second parent will be good right?”

“The food he makes is gross and he hardly ever remembers that I’m around. He takes up all of papa’s time-” said Matthew before he sucked his lips into his mouth.

“I see,” said Gilbert and got out of his own swing and going to loom over Matthew with eyes down at the child, “You know that you don’t have to worry about that.”

Matthew tilted his head to meet the gaze of the grown-up, “But-”

He paused and didn’t want to say anything more, wasn’t sure if his papa’s friend would care. Despite the fact that Gilbert was often around, babysat him often, and played with him.

“But what?” said Gilbert, hands on the swing chains, red eyes gleamed in the last of the light from the sun at the edge of the horizon. 

“What if papa forgets about me too?” whispered Matthew. 

“He won’t” said Gilbert immediately, without a single thought.

“But what if-”

“Kid,” started Gilbert and moved to stand in front of Matthew, “Francis will never forget about you. He loves you to death.”

“But-”

“And besides, even if he did, I wouldn’t. Me, my brother and his mate would adopt you,” grinned the grown up, “You could come live with us and eat pasta and cake all day. Though you’d have to be careful of the dogs. If you got crumbs on your face they’d lick your nose right off.”

Matthew could help but giggle, “You’re silly. A doggie can’t lick a nose off.”

“I don’t know. My brother’s dogs are pretty special,” said Gilbert and poked Matthew’s cheek.

Matthew laughed louder and smiled afterwards.

“So are you ready to go home and stop Francis from bawling his eyes out,” asked Gilbert, ever the blunt man.

“Um, but what about Arthur and Alfred,” said Matthew and frowned when he heard that his papa had been crying over him.

“They were also worried, if it makes you feel better. Nobody is going to forget you,” said Gilbert.

“Oh,” said Matthew who then slid off of the swing. 

Gilbert held out his hand, “Let’s go.”

It took a while to get home, Matthew had ran pretty far when he’d been told that his papa would be getting married. He was no longer thinking too much about that. 

Nope. Matthew listened to Gilbert tell funny stories about how awesome he was and all of the crazy things he’d done. Like how he’d slain a real life dragon. Matthew laughed because dragons weren’t real. At least he was pretty sure they weren’t real. Maybe if Gilbert said so, then they were real though.

Soon though, he found himself scooped up in his Papa’s embrace, the man’s prickly beard tickled his cheek. 

“Oh Matthew, don’t ever do that again. I was so worried. Je t’aime beaucoup,” cried Francis and hugged the small boy tight.

Matthew had just enough room to wiggle out a hand to wave goodbye to Gilbert. The grown up waved back.

#

Seven year old Matthew kicked his legs back and forth on the school-bus as he sat beside Gilbert. He smiled up at his Papa’s friend as other students laughed and shrieked in the background.

“I have no idea how your father roped me into doing this,” said Gilbert who groaned, and rubbed his hand over his face, “Kids are so loud.”

“I’m being quiet,” said Matthew in his voice which was almost always whisper quiet. 

“Yeah and you’re the only one,” muttered Gilbert and leaned his head on the window.

“I’m sorry,” said Matthew and wrung the handle of the backpack he held on his lap.

Gilbert looked over lazily and gave a half grin, “Don’t worry about it brat. It’ll be fun. Besides, they must have been desperate for help to only take Francis’ word that I’m not a creep. Geez.”

Just as Matthew was about to ask the grown-up what he meant, they arrived at their destination. The bus stopped in a thick forest, a bunch of log buildings ahead of them and the words, “Sugar Shack”, prominently displayed. Maple trees all over the forest.

The kids were all ushered out and Gilbert was assigned to Matthew’s group and so he got to see the look of wonder on the small child’s face as they were shown through the forest. Gilbert had gone to a Sugar Shack as a kid, so he didn’t really care too much. It was Matthew that really made the trip fun. The rest of the kids just looked happy to be out of school or hoping to have some sweets. 

Matthew’s attention was focused utterly on learning how the trees were tapped, how the syrup was boiled down. A smart little child that wanted to learn. Gilbert hoped his own kids would be like that when he found his soul mate. 

Then he saw the happiness that shined in Matthew’s eyes when he was allowed to try some of the syrup, poured in a small cup with a little stick for licking.

Gilbert bought the kid a whole bottle of the stuff to bring back home, as well as three packs of maple candies. 

Francis was decidedly not impressed.

#

“So you need me to help the kid with his math?” asked Gilbert as he leaned on the door frame to Francis’ kitchen.

“If you could, you know how bad I’ve always been at the subject,” said Francis and sliced pieces of dough for a lattice crust on an apple pie.

“Maybe you’d be better at it if you hadn’t always cheated on tests by looking at my answers,” said Gilbert and added as an afterthought, “And anyway, how do you know I’m not too busy?”

Francis wiped his hands off on a paper towel and then said, “Number one, if I’ hadn’t cheated I never would have passed my classes. I’m horrible with math. Number two, you aren’t busy.”

Gilbert snorted but looked away from his friend and into the living room where fourteen year old Alfred and nine-year old Matthew watched cartoons on a large flat screen television. Of course everybody knew that he wasn’t busy. When Gilbert didn’t go to work he had nothing to do. All of his friends and family had found their soul mates and Gilbert was still alone.

Mate-less. 

It was pretty pathetic.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” said Gilbert and pushed away from the wall and called into the other room, “Hey Brat!”

Both Alfred and Matthew looked over, popcorn being raised to their mouths in tandem. Gilbert groaned, “Matthew, go get your math homework.”

He dutifully set aside his bowl of snack and then Matthew got up and made his way to his bedroom. Gilbert plopped down at the kitchen table and put his feet up on a chair beside him. He ignored the look his best friend gave him and kept his feet in place. The boy soon scurried back into the room with a huge stack of papers and a pencil case. 

Matthew sat down on the other chair beside Gilbert after he pushed it a bit closer He sat down with an expectant look on his face.

“How often have you been skipping your homework?” said Gilbert, aghast, “If I’d done that growing up I’d been sent to a mine coal.”

Matthew laughed, “Gilbert. Don’t be silly.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’d have been sent to work on an oil rig by my grandfather instead,” said Gilbert and flipped through the mostly untouched white sheets of printed math problems. 

Matthew crossed his arms and gave Gilbert a look. Serious little kid. Reminded Gilbert of when his brother Ludwig was little. 

“Okay, okay fine. Why haven’t you been doing all of this?” asked Gilbert seriously, “Do you want to fail school?”

“It’s hard. I don’t understand it!” pouted Matthew, who began to draw on the side of one of his papers. It was a doodle of a bear. 

“Well let’s change that then huh?”

“Will it be hard?” asked Matthew, looking hesitant.

“Probably, yes but it will be worth it.”

#

“Where are you going?”yelled Alfred and panted, and lagged several paces behind his step-brother. He’d been tasked to pick the kid up from school since the high school was right nearby the elementary school and also let out around the same time.

“Just around the corner,” said Matthew, probably going unheard as his voice was usually very quiet. 

Matthew ran fast up to the red brick covered home and nearly flew up the concrete steps. Movement stopped by the door for a moment as he caught his breath, he slid his backpack down and pulled out his report card. Then he knocked, wide smile on his face. 

A stern blond man answered. Matthew had met him a couple times before and knew his name.

“Mr. Ludwig, May I see Gilbert?” said Matthew, knowing that the man felt more comfortable being addressed using the adult formalities that Gilbert forwent. 

Cold blue eyes stared down at the child for several long moments, they were both quiet until, from behind him, Gilbert said, “Luddy, stop being a stick in the mud. Let the kid inside.”

Matthew shook his head and said, “I can’t come in. I’ve gotta get home and do chores. I just came by to show you this.”

He thrusted out his report card and Matthew pointed at his grade in math. When he’d got is mid-year report card, he’d had a C-. Today, at the end of the year, he’d been given an A for all of his efforts in being tutored by Gilbert. He was so proud and hoped that Gilbert was as well.

A wide and toothy smile cracked Gilbert’s face and he said, “Hey that’s great. Good job! I knew you could do it.”

Matthew preened under the praise and let the grown up ruffle his hair, even though he didn’t ever really care for others to touch his hair. Gilbert really was one of his most favourite adults. Before he left, Matthew gave the alpha a big hug.

#

July first.

It was Matthew’s tenth birthday, which meant that the boy’s orientation would be revealed when his scent came in at the time that’s he’d been born. 

Gilbert sat at a seat along the wall and was drank some kind of French wine. These events were always attended by almost all friends and family. They were a very social and important event in a ten year old’s life, a time for a gathering of community. They’d find out if the young one was an alpha, omega, or beta. Though sometimes it was pretty obvious.

For instance, Gilbert could already tell that shy little Matthew was most likely going to be an omega. He just had a feeling.

The birthday boy himself sat at the front of the room on a special chair. The back of the seat was high and three hooks were attached to the top, off of which hung an amulet. There was an amulet for the symbols alpha, omega, and beta. Matthew wore an outfit made entirely of simple white cotton. Only the collar had silver threads embroidered into it.

Then the clock struck 9:30. The exact moment of Matthew’s birth. A priest walked up and beside the chair. She leaned down and took a deep inhale of the top of the boy’s head, eyes closed. Then she reached up and grabbed the amulet off of which hung the symbol for the omega and placed it gently around the boy’s neck. 

Everybody in the room broke out in applause and then cheerful singing. As the song went on, each person got up, Gilbert included, and lined up to shake the newly dubbed omega’s hand. This was also to take in the new scent, a ritual dating back from before written history. 

As Gilbert’s turn arrived and he grabbed Matthew’s hand and leaned in slightly to catch a the omega’s scent, he had to stifle a gasp. He gave a stiff smile as his trembling hand shook that of the ten year old boy. Gilbert had to struggle to keep his face calm and not show what he’d discovered. 

While scent comes in at the age of ten, your ability to smell your soul mate didn’t develop until the age of seventeen. Gilbert hadn’t smelled his mate in the eleven years since he’d turned seventeen. 

Until he’d smelled Matthew.

Calmly, Gilbert walked from the large room. Once in the hallway he began to run and slammed open the front doors into the warm summer air. He ran his fingers through his hair over and over again and leaned against the rough stone walls of the building exterior. He felt it scrape against his shirt as he slid to sit on the ground. 

With shaky fingers, he pulled out a smoke placed it against his mouth. Gilbert tried to light his cigarette but the tremors in his hand made it all but impossible.

Suddenly another lighter flickered to life in front of his smoke and Gilbert gratefully inhaled on his cancer stick while he watched end of the smoke come to life. 

“Danke,” said Gilbert and looked up into the serious eyes of Francis. 

“What was that all about?” asked Francis, not a trace of his usual amusement, just calm and a hint of something far more deadly under it all. 

Something raw, feral and all crying out of an alpha was was protective of his family 

“I don’t know what you mean,” replied Gilbert and rested an arm over his raised knees.

“Don’t play stupid. I was standing right next to my son when you took in his scent,” said Francis who growled, “You got that look on your face that we all do when we find our soul mate.”

Gilbert said nothing. He thought he’d hidden his expressions better. 

Fuck.

“Look Francis, I-” started Gilbert before he was interrupted by his friend who held up and hand and spoke over him.

“I don’t want to hear it,” said Francis, “I just hope that you understand what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

After he made a throaty noise of disbelief, Gilbert got to his feet and said, “I didn’t get myself into anything. It isn’t as if I chose this. It isn’t as if I chose to be alone for the first eleven years after I should have found my soul mate, only to find out that I’m going to be alone for at least another seven.”

Francis stared down at the ground with a scowl on his face before he said, “Just be careful. I don’t want my little boy to get hurt. Or so help me God…”

Francis words trailed off but Gilbert understood what he meant. It was an open-ended threat.

They didn’t say goodbye to each other and Gilbert didn’t bother to go back inside to bid farewell to his future mate. He just walked to his car an took off, driving back to the home that he shared with his brother and let the vehicle idle in the driveway.

Gilbert rested his head on the top of the steering wheel and sighed. 

He didn’t know how he was going to handle this. It wasn’t as if he was some kind of sicko who was attracted to kids. That hadn’t changed. Though that didn’t stop him from his thought that God’s choice for his mate was some sign that Gilbert was fucked up somehow.

To him, Matthew was still Francis’ adorable little brat. The one that gave him cookies, sometimes picked him flowers and excited showed him report cards. 

What Gilbert was confused about was how he was going to remain alone for the next seven years.

See, if he hadn’t ever met his mate, had no idea who that person was, Gilbert could at least go find somebody to ease the physical tension in his body. Somebody to share his bed for a night.

But now that he knew who his mate was? 

It would be like cheating? Right?

Gilbert grabbed his hair and tugged on it before he gave a scream of frustration. He leaned back and then punched the horn of the steering wheel. Then he turned off the car and got the keys out of the ignition. 

His brother wasn’t home, was out on a date night with his mate and their three month old baby was at the sitter’s. So Gilbert had the house to himself. Which was a good thing, he thought, as he filled his arms with beers from the fridge. 

The night wore on, and the bottles emptied. One after another, lined up on the desk in Gilbert’s room. Drinking alone.

As he drained the last drops of the final bottle, Gilbert flopped back onto his bed, laying over the covers and stared at the ceiling that wobbled in his vision.

If there was one thing that he knew for sure, it was that he’d have to keep a better eye on Matthew. He would devote the next seven years of his life to the protection his future soul mate.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

 

Seated down on the bed in his room with a heavy sigh, Matthew looked back at his closed bedroom door. The silhouette of his papa’s feet could still be seen. Matthew looked away with frustration. 

Ever since he’d turned ten a couple of months ago, his papa had become unbearably over-protective. He wasn’t allowed to walk to school alone any more. He couldn’t go out with friends alone even the ones who lived down the street. All of the parents of his friends were heavily scrutinized. 

It was annoying.

Matthew wondered if that happened to all of those who were discovered to be omegas and that nobody thought it was weird enough to mention. Maybe all parents were devoted to spending every spare moment of their lives to ensure nothing happened to their child?

Maybe.

Never-the-less, it drove Matthew crazy.

The only good thing that had come from his papa’s newly found paranoia was the fact that Matthew had been given a brand new phone. It had some fun games on it and he could keep in touch with his friends. It was pretty great.

Though one weird thing had happened. 

His papa’s friend Gilbert had come up to him one day and had asked for his phone. Matthew obediently handed it over and the grown-up and poked around on it for a few moments. 

Then Gilbert handed it back with the words, “My number’s in there. If you’re ever in trouble, call me.”

And just walked away.

Maybe papa had put Gilbert up to it?

Weird!

Though Matthew, ever the observant child, had noticed that Gilbert hadn’t been around much to hang around his papa.

Hmm. Anyway, Matthew really wanted some time to himself. Then he got an idea.

He got up and left his room, tried to ignore how he saw his papa peek up at him from the bottom of the stairs, and knocked on Alfred’s bedroom door.

“Yeah, come in,” yelled Alfred who turned down his music.

Matthew went in and stepped over the fifteen-year old alpha’s messy pile of clothes and was quiet. Alfred played on his phone and didn’t look up.

“Yeah?” said Alfred, eyes still glued on a zombie game.

“Could you take me to see a movie?” asked Matthew.

“Why? Ask Francis to take you,” said Alfred who always called papa by name instead of referring to his title of step-parent.

“I want papa to leave me alone for a while,” grumbled Matthew.

“Oh, I guess he’s been hovering over you a bit,” said Alfred and then hummed and put down his phone, “Sucks to be you.”

“Uh-huh, so will you take me?”

“What do I get out of it?” asked Alfred and grinned

“I have some money saved up from allowance, I can pay for you too,” said Matthew.

“Buy my popcorn as well and you have a deal,” said Alfred with a sly smile.

Since that was actually better than Matthew thought, he perked up and said, “Okay.”

He figured he’d also have to buy his step-brother’s pop as well, maybe even candy. Matthew couldn’t wait!

#

The task to convince papa had been difficult. Matthew had to swear up and down that he’s stick with Alfred, and his brother had to do that same. Papa had seemed so reluctant. Matthew really wished he understood why.

Oh well.

Alfred and Matthew had gone to see a horror movie. This theatre never asked for ID to get into mature movies, never even looked up from their phones when tickets were asked for. The theatre workers just pressed the right button to print out the required tickets. 

Matthew had been hesitant when Alfred had suggested the scary film, but relented when the older boy had given him puppy-dog eyes.

However the movie was actually pretty good and not frightening at all. To Matthew that was. Alfred would scream and whimper until he eventually turned to Matthew and said, “I’ll w-wait for you outside, this is b-boring.”

Matthew, engrossed in the movie, shrugged and hardly paid attention.

That was, until the movie was over and he went into the lobby to find his brother.

Alfred was nowhere to be seen.

Matthew turned his phone back on to see a missed text.

[Some friends came by and took me to hang out and play video games. You know the way home. Catch ya later.- Alfred]

He bit his lower lip, Matthew put his phone back into his pocket. Arthur had dropped Alfred and Matthew off at the movies. Matthew had never walked to or from the building. He didn’t remember how to get back. 

He put his hands in his jacket pocket and went outside. The sun had set already and the only lights were from the street lamps. Which way did they come from? Matthew couldn’t remember. 

He was ten, and too old to cry. That thought, however, didn’t stop Matthew’s eyes from the sting that built with the threat of tears as he shook. He picked a direction, began to walk, and went a couple of blocks before he didn’t see anything familiar. So he went back where he thought the theatre was only to find that he’s become turned around again.

By the time an hour had went by, Matthew was completely lost and wet trails of tears streamed down his cheeks.

He reached into his pocket and grabbed out his phone, just about to call for his papa when he thought of something.

If he called his papa right then, while crying, the man would be far more over-protective, even than before. He’d call Arthur but his step-father was at work and Matthew didn’t want to be a bother.

He had no idea what to do and so he went to call the only person that he knew could help.

However before Matthew could bring up his contacts list, he felt a gloved hand clamp over his mouth and a cool metal against his throat. 

“Don’t scream or I’ll kill you,” said a voice that Matthew hadn’t ever heard before. 

Then he was dragged to an alleyway between two buildings.

#

Hands shoved deep in his pockets, Gilbert walked down the side walk, shoulders hunched. He could smell the booze and pungent reek of cigarettes all over himself. He’d had at least three smokes to mask the smell of the female beta he’d kissed in the back of a club. She’d rubbed against him in a drunken haze of lust. 

Gilbert had tried to reciprocate. He’d been desperate to, so starved of touch as he was. But his damned mind cried out the word, “Cheater!”, just as he had a condom over his dick and was about to push in.

Fuck! He’d had to push the woman away and had run out of the club, didn’t even stop long enough to clean up a bit in the bathroom.

Yep. Gilbert was officially screwed for the next seven years. Or rather, he wouldn’t be.

Lost in the grumbles he made to himself, he almost didn’t see the small hand just barely visible from the entrance of an alleyway. Brows furrowed, Gilbert grabbed his pocket knife from his jacket and flipped it open. It wouldn’t do much but it was better than nothing. 

“Hey, who’s there?” said Gilbert loudly out into the dark alley.

There was no answer, so he stepped closer and looked around to see no trace of criminal, just a body on the ground, face down.

Gilbert’s heart hammered in his chest as he saw the familiar sized body and blond curls, now matted with blood. A gasp tore from his lips and he ran closer, dropped the knife he held, barely aware that it dropped into a slick patch of blood. He tried to look over Matthew, whose body was limp, pants at his ankles.

Oh God. Gilbert swallowed bile that rose and tried to tame down his rage. He had to help Matthew. 

He gently turned the boy over, seeing an area on his side that sluggishly leaked blood. Gilbert whipped off his coat, tossed it aside and then his shirt and pressed it hard to the boy’s wound. With his other hand he felt for a pulse. It was weakened but it was there. Gilbert gently stroked over Matthew’s hair, eyes blown wide and entire body shook in terror. 

What if this was the last chance he’d see his soul mate? Before the boy even had a chance to become an adult? He pressed a kiss to the top of the boy’s head.

His fingers were slick and grew sticky with crimson, Gilbert went for his jacket, fished for his phone when he heard a distinctly French accented voice come from the street.

“What did you do?” cried Francis and ran towards them.

“I-” started Gilbert, for once speechless in the wake of the fear he had for the small boy.

Gilbert faintly heard Arthur in the background on the phone to somebody but he didn’t think too much of it. 

“Get away from him!” yelled Francis and pushed at Gilbert, who tried to stay in place, keeping pressure on Matthew’s wound.

“Just let me-” Gilbert tried once more. 

“My baby boy. My little baby. You raped and killed him,” said Francis who sobbed and fell to his knees by Matthew’s head. 

Gilbert was stunned, unsure if he’d heard that right. Had his friend really accused him of such a thing? There was no way. Francis had been protective of the only child he had from his soul-mate, but he wasn’t out of his mind. Gilbert had obvious just imagined it.

Francis just cried and pet his child’s blood matted hair. Gilbert kept pressure on the wound, knowing his friend was just upset and would come to his senses soon. Hell, the Frenchman had probably not even been referring to Gilbert anyway.

However all of Gilbert’s hopes went out of the window when an ambulance and squad cars rolled up, sirens blaring. Francis leapt to his feet and pointed down at Gilbert.

“He hurt my baby!” 

Gilbert paled. It was then he realized several things.

The pocket knife with his fingerprints in a puddle of Matthew’s blood. Gilbert had taken off his shirt and he hadn’t done up his pants properly from when he was in the club. He was covered in Matthew’s blood. He’d consumed more than enough beer for it to register on a breathalyser test.

He wanted to run, but he refused to move his hand until the paramedics took over.

Not that he was given much of a choice when he heard the words, “Stand up with your hands above your head.”

“He’s bleeding,” was all the Gilbert could get out.

Just then a stretcher pulled up and the paramedics practically shoved him aside. Gilbert watched as the medics took over Matthew’s care, the pale skin of the child even whiter than before. Gilbert just stared, mouth gaped. 

Heavy footsteps came closer to him and said, once more, “I said get up with your hands above your head.”

Eyes closed, Gilbert stood. His hands were wrenched behind his back and he swallowed thickly when he felt the cold metal of the cuffs snap into place. The officer was not gentle when she pushed him to walk towards the cruiser.

Gilbert saw Francis, who he’d once believed to be his best friend, in conversation with the police. He heard his name and the word rape. The words take advantage. 

Once he was pushed into the back of the car, door slammed shut, he watched the stretcher that contained his future soul mate being lifted into the back of the ambulance and Francis who broke away from the police to follow.

Gilbert knew that he should be more concerned about his own well being. However all he could think about was the ten year old child and hoped that he’d live through the night. 

#

Sleep didn’t come for Gilbert that night as he lay on a cell cot that was only slightly more comfortable than the hard tiled floor. He stared at the florescent lights that flickered above him and tried to ignore the subtle buzz it made. 

There weren’t any windows, so Gilbert had no idea how much time had passed by. However it must have been morning by then because he was told he had a visitor.

“Brother,” said the firm and eerily calm voice of Ludwig.

Gilbert leapt to his feet, “Are you here to bail me out?”

That’s when he noticed that his little brother’s gaze was kept glued to the wall behind Gilbert. Ludwig’s lips were thinned and his eyes narrowed.

“Where were you last night?”

“I was at a club,” said Gilbert.

He’d already told his story to the cops, who had seemed less than impressed. 

“Why didn’t you tell me that before you left?” asked Ludwig.

Why did it feel like Gilbert was being interrogated once more? But this time by one of the only people in his life that should believe him no matter what.

“I’m a grown man. You’re not my keeper.”

Ludwig made a noise of disbelief in his throat and said, “You always tell me where you go. No matter whether I care or not. Last night you didn’t for the very first time. Like you were hiding something.”

Because he’d already felt like he had been going to cheat on his partner even if he didn’t have one yet. His god damn alpha instincts demanded that he keep his potential indiscretion secret. Gilbert knew that if he mentioned that Matthew was his soul mate and was seven years too young to be claimed would probably not be a good idea. Some people would understand, but many others wouldn’t and think he was broken and a creep.

What he needed was to speak to a lawyer. 

“Look, Luddy,” said Gilbert and took a deep breath, “Can you get me out of here and we’ll talk at home?”

Ludwig looked very uncomfortable, “This is already hit the news. Feliciano read about it and-”

“And?”

“He doesn’t want you around the baby.”

Gilbert’s jaw dropped, “He thinks that I would do something to her? You didn’t stand up for me?”

“I spoke to Francis, he told me that he thinks you did it. The police are also not ready to let you out on bail yet. They think you did it.”

“So you think I raped a god-damned child?” yelled Gilbert, spittle flew from his mouth in a rage, “You think I’d do ANYTHING to hurt my niece?”

He grabbed the bars and tried to shake them, not feeling them budge. 

A nearby guard stepped up and drew his gun, “Step away from the bars.”

Gilbert raised his hands and grit his teeth, “Just leave then Ludwig. If you think so little of me.”

“I want to believe you but-” said Ludwig but Gilbert didn’t hear any more.

He couldn’t.

Gilbert went back to his cot and faced the back wall, drowned out his brother’s voice for as long as he needed to. Once he heard his brother walk away Gilbert punched his pillow and screamed. 

#

A stern woman sat across from Gilbert, who was in cuffs and was attached to the table at which they were seated. Her long platinum blonde hair hung around her stiff body. Ms. Arlovskaya looked through the various paperwork that had been signed. Then she looked up and stared at Gilbert without the betrayal any feelings at all. 

“I will admit, circumstances are not on your side Mr. Beilschmidt. The alley that the attack took place was found to have malfunctioning cameras and thus were down during the time of the attack. The boy was found to have been raped but the attacker wore a condom. During your examination you were found to have condom residue on your genitals and an open condom package in your pocket. Your pocketknife was found to have the victim’s blood on it and the puncture wounds matched very closely to your knife as well. The police have also questioned your friends and family and all of them have said that you had been acting strangely.”

Gilbert winced, “Is there any good news?”

“Well, while the suspicion of the boy’s father is being considered, it was determined that Francis Bonnefoy did not actually witness a crime take place. My associates and I are well on our way to getting camera footage from the club and looking through it. We are also trying to locate the woman you said you had been with,” said Ms. Arlovskaya and then she added, “I am the best lawyer in this area and I will do everything in my power to make sure that you walk free from this.”  
Sniffing and then looking up at his lawyer, who was going to pretty much drain his savings, Gilbert said, “Thank you.”

The woman nodded and then resumed looking over her papers, making sure that they were in order before she could place them back into her briefcase. 

It had been three days since he’d found the bloody body of Matthew had Gilbert hadn’t heard any word of how the kid was. He assumed that since there wasn’t a mention of murder that Matthew was still alive. Still, Gilbert needed to know. 

“How is Matthew?” he asked, mentally he added the question of why the boy hadn’t proclaimed Gilbert’s innocence.

The lawyer gave him an unreadable look, her ice cold eyes stared into Gilbert for a long few moments before she relented and said, “He hasn’t woken up. He is in a coma from the blood loss and possibly from the shock of what happened to him. When he awakens and is well enough to speak, he will be questioned by police on his case. If luck is on our side, he will have received a good look at his assailant and you will no longer need my services.”

Gilbert didn’t speak. He just stared at the wood grains and followed the patterns with his eyes. 

“Now do you have any further questions for me Mr. Beilschmidt?”

He shook his head.

“All right. Well remember to call me if you need anything and to only answer questions to the police in my presence,” she said and then bid Gilbert farewell.

Gilbert didn’t put up a fight when the cops took him back to his cell. He didn’t eat his dinner when it had arrived. He just closed his eyes and slept.

#

When Matthew woke up, it felt as if he swam through a deep lake to reach a surface that was lit with a dim light. He ached all over and could hardly hear anything around himself. Even his fingers felt heavy. He almost gave into the urge to fall back asleep, but then he heard a sob.

Then he heard speech, but it sounded muffled. 

Mumble…mumble…sorry.

Through lips that felt chapped and a dry mouth, Matthew spoke, “Wha?”

As whoever was speaking seemed to shriek, Matthew tried to pry open his eyes. Everything was bright, too bright, but Matthew saw a head of blond hair and blue eyes. 

“Oh my God! You’re awake. Mattie!” said Alfred, tears immediately brimmed in his eyes and his lower lip quivered, “I’m so so sorry for not staying with you. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t left.”

Memories still a muddled and jumbled mess in his head, Matthew blinked several times. What was Alfred sorry for? When did he leave?

The previous loud cry of surprise had attracted attention because right then the door flung open and a few nurses as well as Papa came into the room. The nurses looked over various machines at Matthew’s sides and attached a cuff to his upper arm. As the cuff inflated uncomfortably, Papa began to stroke Matthew’s hair.

“My little boy, oh my precious angel. Papa will never leave your side again. I will never let anything bad happen to you ever again,” said Papa and gave Matthew’s forehead small kisses. 

Matthew was still confused. All he remembered was going to a movie and then waking up. In the back of his mind though, he felt a slight pain and a twinge of something that waited to resurge. It was like it was trapped behind a locked door though, and Matthew wouldn’t figure out what the memories were. 

“What happened?” asked Matthew with a raspy, dry, voice. 

Just was Alfred was about to open his mouth, papa and the nurses stopped him.

One nurse said, “Your little brother needs to rest for a while longer. He can talk about important things once we are certain that he is stable.”

So, for the rest of what Matthew learned was the morning and part of the afternoon, he was doted upon. Nurses came in with water and later a nurse let him have some ginger ale. He was hungry but was given a light soup to start. He would have given anything for some fries or a chocolate bar. He tried not to think of the pain that he felt in his side and in his bottom.

Then it went downhill. 

The police came in, two officers, one was an omega and the other was a beta, and smiled gently at Matthew and the rest of his family. Arthur and Alfred were asked to leave, Papa was allowed to stay for comfort though.

The female omega officer came over to Matthew and sat on his other side and put her hand over his, “How are you feeling little buddy?”

Matthew shrugged, “Okay I guess.”

“Good. I know that everybody is very happy to see you awake,” said the girl omega, “We are too and we are wondering if you’d be able to answer some questions for us?”

“Sure,” said Matthew and pulled the hospital bed covers over himself more fully.

“We’d like to ask what you can remember from the night of your attack,” the woman said, not taking notes, but Matthew noticed that her partner was.

“My atta-” started Matthew before his head hurt, he closed his eyes, and put his hand on his head, “Oh.”

A flood of memories came back at once. The feeling of a knife at his throat, being thrown on the ground. A body over his, his pants forced down until he was naked. A hard-

Matthew sobbed lightly and bit his lip. He sniffled.

The female officer allowed him time before she asked, “Did you see who hurt you? What did this person look like?”

“H-he had short black h-hair. Dark e-eyes,” said Matthew, being a smart boy and knew that he needed to help the police catch the bad man, “Wore a sweater with a hood, jeans, white shoes.”

Matthew didn’t want to close his eyes but wanted to block out the memories. He reached for his Papa who didn’t hug him right away but still pet his hair. Then papa gently held Matthew’s chin and tilted the boy’s head to meet his eyes. 

“Was it not Gilbert who hurt you?” asked Papa.

Brows scrunched up, confused, Matthew said, “No. It wasn’t.”

Papa tried once more to say something, “Cheri, perhaps-”

The beta cop held up his hand, “Sometimes things can be confusing when waking up. We’ll come back tomorrow to ask again.”

Papa nodded but Matthew spoke up, “Gilbert didn’t hurt me. It was the man with short dark hair.”

The omega cop looked over at her partner and the two shared a look, “Are you certain of this young man? Mr. Beilschmidt was seen beside you when your father found you.”

Matthew nodded, “Gilbert didn’t hurt me.”

Two days went by and Matthew had spent far too long convincing the police. He had no idea why his Papa insisted that his own friend had been the one to hurt his son. Matthew knew it wasn’t. 

Aside from the fact that he had seen the person who’d harmed him, he knew, deep down, that Gilbert would never do anything to cause him pain. He didn’t know why. There was just a feeling.

Eventually the police stopped coming around and asking questions.

Matthew was given a clean bill of health. Though he was sore and it hurt a lot to sit, he was more than ready to go back home with his own bed and his own belongings. 

The only thing that upset him was his father. 

“Matthew,” said Papa as they drove from the hospital, “You know that you can tell me the truth. The police don’t have any evidence of a dark haired man being in that area but signs of Gilbert being all over. You don’t have to be scared right now but they are letting Gilbert out of jail today if you don’t speak up.”

At this, Matthew crossed his arms and re-adjusted himself on his soft ringed cushion. He pursed his lips and said, “Stop asking me. Gilbert didn’t do anything to me and I want to stop thinking about that night.”

Tears welled up in his eyes. Matthew hated how much he’d been asked. He wanted to go back to normal. Why didn’t anybody understand?

He also didn’t understand why Gilbert had been in jail. It didn’t make any sense.

Papa sighed and hung his head when they stopped at a red light, “Okay. I’m sorry for pressing the issue my sweet. I won’t ask again.”

Matthew nodded and stared out of the passenger window.

He had a feeling that everything was going to be change though and it made his stomach sink. 

#

A key went into the jail door and Gilbert looked up as he sat on his bed, knees raised an close to his chest. An officer came in with a grimace.

Giving a sneer, Gilbert said, in the snarkiest voice he could, “What?”

Really, what else did he have to lose? Not a single person stuck up for him. Not a single friend or family member believed his innocence. So why be polite to anybody?

“The kid thinks, with certainty, that you were not the one who attacked him,” said the officer with a scowl.

“Because I wasn’t,” said Gilbert and gave a snarl right back.

“But there isn’t a shred of evidence that proves anybody else was there and none of the cameras at the club you claimed to be at caught you on tape. I think you threatened the kid into silence. Legally I have to let you go but you need to know one thing,” said the cop before she was suddenly right in his face, hand rested on her pistol, “Everybody in this town is going to be watching you, and if you so much as look at somebody wrong you will find yourself right back in here.”

Not one to back down from a challenge, Gilbert, through gritted teeth, said, “Go ahead but you’ll be wasting time that could be spent finding the real rapist.”

The two stared at each other for a long few moments before she backed off and gave Gilbert a free path to the outside of the cell.

“Here’s some clothes,” said the officer and threw a bag at Gilbert that he had previous not noticed being held in her hands, “What you were wearing was covered in blood-”

At that the cop curled her lip in disgust, and continued, “Put them on and go to the front desk to get the rest of your belongings back.”

Gilbert did as he was asked, as if he were on auto-pilot. He was quite happy that he was getting out of the too cool holding cell. After he retrieved back his things, mainly his wallet, phone and keys. It didn’t escape his notice that he didn’t get his knife back but Gilbert didn’t really care at that point. He just wanted to leave. 

His cell was dead and he didn’t want to ask the omega at the desk to use his phone, he already glared up at him, so Gilbert took a taxi to get home.

When the cab pulled up, Gilbert paid his fare and got out. He simply stared up at the place that he’d called home for so very many years, since he was a baby. It was the family home that had been passed down to both Ludwig and Gilbert. That was why they lived there together. It was big enough for everybody and the brothers liked being close.

Both his brother’s and Feliciano’s cars were in the driveway, his as well.

He didn’t want to face them but knew that he had to. Even if he was very hurt that his innocence hadn’t been believed. 

Steeling his spine he went up the front stoop only to try the door and find it locked. Gilbert pulled out his keys and tried to unlock the door only to find that his key didn’t work. 

“What the hell?” sputtered Gilbert and double checked that he had the right key. He did. 

The must have needed to change the locks but Gilbert couldn’t imagine why. Or perhaps he simply didn’t want to. Maybe the house had simply been broken into.

He pounded his fist on the door, Gilbert also yelled out, “Hey! The awesome is back, let me in.”

After what must have been ten minutes, Gilbert knocked a few more times, and became more and more impatient, the door was opened. Ludwig looked out, his usually stoic face showed an odd hesitation. Gilbert pushed passed him and scowled. 

“Took you long enough,” said Gilbert who took off his shoes and looked into the house.

“Um, yeah, it did. Sorry,” said Ludwig, with a tinge of something. 

Gilbert was starved. The food where he’d been held had been horrible. He wanted to eat but also really wanted to have a decent shower. After he decided to get properly clean first, Gilbert went to his room.

Except that when he opened the door he noticed that it was empty of everything save for his bed and a desk. 

“What the hell?” he yelled, seeing red and he stomped downstairs, “Where’s all my stuff?”

Ludwig waited for him at the bottom of the steps, not once did he meet Gilbert’s eyes, “Well, Feliciano-”

“No! Cut the crap and stop hiding behind your mate,” growled Gilbert, fists balled, “What the hell happened to my stuff?”

Lips thinned, Ludwig said, “I know that you were released, but everybody still thinks that you are guilty. Even Francis claims that you somehow convinced that child to not say a thing. And I just can’t help but remember how Matthew would show up here to speak to you and how you would tutor the child out of the ‘kindness of your heart’. You’d been different for a while brother and I just-”

Gilbert didn’t wait to hear the rest of what his little brother had to say. He stormed out to his car, got in and peeled out of the driveway with a squeal of rubber against pavement. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel and his teeth grit together so hard that he heard them in the relative silence of the vehicle. 

He didn’t bother to find out where his stuff was. He didn’t care. 

Gilbert just headed for the highway and didn’t look back.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Six and a half years later

Perched on a bench just outside of the bus station, Matthew hung his head and wrapped his arms around his backpack tightly. He ignored the painful rumble in his stomach from his lack of food and took a deep and shaky breath in.

He couldn’t help but think back to how he’d come to this, being hundreds of miles from his home, no more money, stranded. 

It had taken almost four years of intensive therapy for Matthew to recover from his attack. Every time he turned around, he felt like he would be jumped, feel a cold blade against his neck. It didn’t help that the real attacker had never been caught. There were no leads.

Matthew wondered if it was because he was fairly certain that everybody kept blaming Gilbert. Even his family would still ask every now and again if he was certain that Gilbert hadn’t done it. He had seen the man who’d hurt him. But everybody would just tell him that there was no proof of anybody else having been there. Gilbert leaving was suspicious to his father. Matthew simply refused to talk about it after a point. It upset Matthew that nobody believed what he told them. 

Life went on though. Matthew was able to return to regular school instead of learning from home. He was able to make a few friends and enjoy his life despite the fact that he would still have the occasional nightmare or flashback. 

Then he came to be three months away from his seventeenth birthday. Matthew had been getting excited and nervous to meet his future soul mate. Somebody to start his life with, somebody to help comfort him. Somebody who would never hurt him. Somebody to love. 

He was excited and shared that joy with his family one night over dinner. Alfred had seemed excited for Matthew, he had long since met his own mate, Kiku. Arthur had made a discontented sounding hum and stared at his food. 

Papa, however, was different. 

Papa had snarled under his breath, causing a spike of fright to run through both of the omegas at the table, Arthur and Matthew staring up with widened eyes. Francis had announced that Matthew didn’t need to bother with a mate. Then Papa had left the table in a huff. 

Seeing as how Papa had been quite protective of his son since the attack, Matthew understood that the man was just upset. The omega figured that his father would get over it once he cooled down.

However Papa never cooled down. He began to get overbearing. He refused to let Matthew go out with friends. He screened all of Matthew’s phone calls to the point that he confiscated Matthew’s cell phone entirely. 

Papa eventually even took Matthew right out of school, saying that he didn’t need to leave the house. 

It was ridiculous and began to really upset Matthew. He understood the reasons, Papa didn’t want to see Matthew hurt again.

But the older man just didn’t have the right to restrict Matthew’s ability to go to school or find a mate. He’d nailed Matthew window shut even though he’d never sneaked out in his life.

When Francis disconnected the internet to the home and got rid of the computers, Matthew had enough. Matthew was only months away from being an adult and his father treated him like a child who was grounded. Matthew hadn’t done anything wrong. He simply looked forward to the day when he’d find the person with whom he’d spend his life. 

Matthew had tried to speak to his father about it. Get the older man to see reason and quit being overbearing. Matthew tried to explain that he also felt nervous. He too was unsure about putting himself out there after he’d been hurt so badly as a child. However he knew that he had to open himself up for the sake of his future mate. He told all of that to Papa. 

Only to be shut down and told that he was forbidden from looking for his soul mate. Francis said that if Matthew tried to look for his soul mate, his bedroom would be moved into the basement and locked so that nobody could hurt him.

That night Matthew had packed a backpack full of his stuff, including his ID, and grabbed the cash that he’d saved up. He’d previously grabbed a hammer from the garage, which he used to pry up the nails on his window. After he made the climb down the tree right outside of his window, he got down on the fresh cut grass and left his childhood home. 

Matthew walked to the bus station and took a bus in a random direction. He didn’t want to be found.

As much as he shook as he was out at night, alone, by himself, he couldn’t keep being treated like a prisoner. Tears welled in his eyes as he sat alone near the front of the bus, he hated leaving his family. He loved them all, even Papa.

Matthew just took a different bus every now and again, not putting much thought into his decisions, just needed distance. 

That was how he found himself wracked with shivers, at night, in a station as far up north as he could be without hopping the border. He was hungry, scared, and jumped at every noise. Matthew’s nightmare and fear had escalated in the month he’d been gone from his home. He’d thought he was mostly over what had happened to him. When he’d been ra-

Matthew shook his head. He hated even thinking that word and had yet to speak it aloud. It made him uncomfortable and sad. 

“Last bus left an hour ago kid,” said a security guard, “You waiting for somebody to pick you up?”

Matthew leaped at least a foot in the air, nearly dropped his backpack, and stared wide-eyed at the huge alpha in front of him. He got off his bench and began to back up.

“Um, no I’m not,” said Matthew stupidly.

With narrowed his eyes at what seemed like suspicious behaviour, the guard said, “Well you can’t stay here. I’ve gotta lock up.”

He bit his lower lip, Matthew said, “You close? But most of the other stations I’ve been to didn’t close.”

“Well we do close and you can’t sleep here,” said the guard with a finality to his voice. 

Near tears of desperation, he hanged his head and Matthew walked to the doors, the alpha followed behind. Probably to make sure that he didn’t try to sneak into a bathroom to sleep.

Once the cool spring air hit Matthew’s face, the doors locked behind him with an echoed click. Tears immediately began to fall down Matthew’s cheeks, harshly ccooled on their way down and chilling the omega further. 

“I’m so stupid. I should have stayed home,” he whispered to himself and began to slowly walk without aim, “Now what do I do?”

Matthew had probably walked for about fifteen minutes, the entire way spent trembling from the cold spring air. He had no idea where he would sleep and hoped to find somewhere where he wouldn’t be killed in the night and stay relatively warm.

That was when he looked up and saw the most beautiful sight.

A shaggy head of white hair, a rugged and masculine pale face. A visage so familiar that Matthew audibly gasped and shook. Gilbert Beilschmidt, stood before him about twenty feet away, locked the outside of what appeared to be a music shop and looked in every way like a guardian angel.

“Gilbert? Gilbert Beilschmidt?” said Matthew as loud as he could and tried to keep the wobble out of his voice but he knew that he’d failed. 

With red eyes blown wide in what almost seemed to be fear, Gilbert looked up, “How do you know my-”

As soon as Gilbert’s sight fell upon Matthew his jaw dropped and he clutched his satchel with a white knuckled grip, “Matthew?”

The man began to back up but Matthew couldn’t let him. In his mind, Gilbert was his only hope of making it through the night alive. With a couple of cautious steps, Matthew said, “Yeah, it’s me! Um, I know this is asking a lot but can I stay with you for the night?”

Already having shook his head, Gilbert stopped meeting Matthew’s entreating gaze and said, “Why would you need to? Just go back to whatever hotel you and your family are staying in.”

“We aren-”

Gilbert kept up his speech, this time through gritted teeth, “Oh fuck, that means Francis is in town.”

The man broke off into mumbles under his breath, turned around ,and started to walk at a brisk pace. 

With a raised voice while he followed, Matthew said, “He’s not. I’m alone.”

At that Gilbert stopped but didn’t turn around, his hands shoved into the pockets of a thick sweater. The alpha was silent and Matthew took it as his cue to speak further.

“I sort of ran away from home. He was being so…and I…it’s just that…I was so stupid,” Matthew finally managed to conclude aloud, “I took the bus until I was out of money. I’m cold and hungry and the security guard at the station wouldn’t let me sleep there.”

Gilbert still didn’t speak, just shifted his feet around in shallow water from a puddle. 

More pathetic tears wanted to well up in his eyes and Matthew fought them back to say, “I’m sorry for asking. I wouldn’t if I had another choice. I’m always making dumb decisions and I know that… it’s just that I don’t want to die out here.”

Great. Matthew thought as he realized that he began to full out cry once more. He seriously wished that he could control his emotions better. Why would Gilbert want some crybaby whose stupid mistake at the age of ten caused him to be blamed for Matthew’s attack? Now that Matthew thought about it, Gilbert probably hated him. 

Just when that thought crossed his mind though, Gilbert said, raspy and low, “Fine. Come on, let’s get going.”

Stunned to silence by the older man’s acquiescence, Matthew swiftly followed behind. He was beyond thankful that Gilbert just happened to be in the very town in which Matthew had finally run out of money. It was almost as if it were fate. Maybe Matthew wasn’t destined to die here somehow because his soul mate was somewhere in this town.

That would be quite something. For all of the pieces of his life thus far to fall into place in just the right way that caused Matthew to be in just the right place at just the right time to meet the one which whom he’d spend his life. That was probably how it worked for most soul mates, it was simply that it was amazing to witness in Matthew’s opinion.

He couldn’t wait to meet them.

With a smile as he thought, he didn’t even realize that Gilbert had stopped walking and had begun to unlock the car that Matthew seemed to remember vaguely as the one he’d owned when Matthew was young. It was rusted now though, and scratched in places. As Matthew opened the passenger side door and went to sit down, he noticed that the seats were worn and torn in places along the driver’s side while the other seats looked unused. A worn out air freshener of a cute little yellow bird, a fresh plastic freshener attached to the dashboard. By Matthew’s feet lay a paper bag full of fast food wrappers. Gilbert drove, more silent than he’d ever been when Matthew was a child. It unnerved the omega.

Matthew sucked both of his lips into his mouth and watched the scenery fly by. The city wasn’t very large, which is probably why their bus station closed earlier than the ones from the big cities Matthew had been in. Still, he didn’t trust being out alone at night and was so thankful that Gilbert had been there. 

Soon enough they drove into a parking lot behind a six storey apartment building. The pavement was cracked and had potholes in it as Matthew and Gilbert made their way across it. The carpet in the lobby was clean but the pile worn down completed flat and the paint was drab and dull. Once on the fourth floor, Gilbert unlocked the door to his tiny home. 

Gilbert took off his shoes and placed them neatly on the wooden shoe rack, the top of which held mostly gloves and hats since there was only one other pair of footwear to place on the small shelf. The alpha then went immediately into another room without a door, probably the kitchen by the sound of a refrigerator opening. Matthew took off his own sneakers and placed them just as neatly to be polite and not from any inherent need for tidiness. He then went and sat down on the last cushion of the couch.

“Hey do you want a beer?”, said Gilbert.

Matthew looked up just in time to see Gilbert wince and add an amendment, “Ah, right, you’re not of age yet. I have…uh…water?”

Matthew tried for a smile and didn’t know if he failed or not and said, “A water is fine thank you.”

Gilbert flopped on the end of the couch from Matthew, slouched, and handed a cup of water to Matthew. The alpha chugged back his amber brew and didn’t meet the other’s curious gaze. Matthew delicately sipped his water. Nice and and cold. It helped a little to fill his very empty belly.

However the his traitorous stomach still wasn’t happy and made a very loud and obvious growl that made Gilbert finally look up.

“Oh shit! I’m not being an awesome host. I’ll get you something to eat,” said Gilbert and hopped up with his beer bottle in hand.

In no time at all, Gilbert came out of the kitchen with a plate full of what looked like Chinese take out.

“Thank you,” said Matthew, nearly salivated at the scent of warm food.

“Yeah, all I have are leftovers so I hope you…don’t…mind?” spoke Gilbert who trailed off as he watched in awe as Matthew dug into his meal ravenously.

Matthew was too hungry to really taste his food, he just needed to get it into himself. He was pretty sure that there wasn’t enough on the plate to make him sick so he allowed himself to demolish all of the food upon it. After a stifled burp, Matthew rested the plate on his lap, and felt his face heat up in the wake of his behaviour. Gilbert took the dirty dish from him and Matthew heard water run.

Afterwards Gilbert sat down with a stern expression and Matthew knew, at once, that he was going to be expected to tell everything that had happened to him and why he was there. However just in case he was wrong he stayed silent. He wrung his hands together and looked around the apartment, casually noted a framed print of a painted eagle and another print of a strange black and white flag with a black bird crest offset to the left side. 

“Why aren’t you at home, where you can be safe and well fed?” asked Gilbert, another beer in one hand, the other hand kept busy as it scraped at the bottle’s label with a fingernail.

Matthew didn’t want to answer. It seemed stupid to him now, at least he thought it was probably stupid. So he stared at the surfaces around the apartment and noticed the light layer of dust covering most places. 

“Matthew,” prompted Gilbert once more, sterner that time. 

He took a deep breath and resigned to having to bite the bullet, Matthew said, “Papa had been super protective of me since my attack.”

He saw Gilbert’s face change in a way that Matthew didn’t quite understand. It was almost as if he became more stoic, like his expression closed down.

“Go on,” said Gilbert after he cleared his throat. 

“If it all stayed the same I wouldn’t have left. But he refused to allow me to have friends. He took me out of school. Took my phone and got rid of our internet and the computers. He nailed my bedroom window shut,” said Matthew and let out a long breath, “But that wasn’t the worst of it.”

Matthew saw Gilbert’s hand dig deep into the arm of the couch beside him and the alpha stared at the wall in front of him as he avoided Matthew’s eyes. Already he knew that he had to let the man know why he was here, Matthew continued. 

“I expressed to Papa that I was excited to meet my soul mate, whoever he ends up being,” said Matthew, “And he explicitly told me that I was forbidden from finding him, the one with whom I am to spend my life. He even threatened to lock me in the basement if I tried to find my soul mate.”

The sound of teeth being ground together could be heard clearly in the so silent room. Gilbert swallowed and relaxed his too straight body to a more natural position. To Matthew, he almost looked upset. Matthew didn’t understand why, he was just some kid that Gilbert used to know.

Maybe he felt strongly about soul mates?

The alpha slid a half smirk over his face that even Matthew could tell was insincere, Gilbert said, “What a dick. So you left?”

Matthew nodded, “It was stupid.”

“But understandable.”

“I should have planned things better. If I hadn’t seen you who knows what could have happened,” said Matthew, voice almost a whisper by the end. 

Gilbert blanched and then, also quiet, spoke, “Yes. You should have. But you’re welcome to stay here.”

“You aren’t going to call my family?” said Matthew and winced at the pathetic almost plea in his voice. 

“Never,” assured Gilbert and still did not meet Matthew’s gaze, “Not after what…”

Gilbert trailed off and then shook his head, “Never mind. You must be tired. I know I am. Let me get you a blanket and pillow.”

Matthew wondered what the older man had planned to say but didn’t push it. He had intruded as it was, despite how glad he was for a place to stay. 

#

Gilbert walked away from the omega on his couch. One he’d last seen as a young boy, laying bleeding and broken on the pavement. An omega who was now so close to adulthood, a few months away. As soon as he was in the hallway on the to the linen closet he took a shuddered breath and lay his forehead against the wall. 

Gilbert had no idea what to do. He didn’t want to be accused to hurting Matthew again. Couldn't handle that heartbreak if he lost the right to be near his future soul mate and lost what small life he’d built up for himself in this town. The idea of the loss everything again made him ache deep inside. 

Yet a deeper and stronger feeling within him screamed at him to keep his omega by his side. Ever since he’d left Matthew behind those years ago, his alpha instincts had cried out for him to return to his mate. Gilbert had many a sleepless night where he tossed and turned and wanted to know if his soul mate was safe. It had eventually become so bad that he’d needed to take sleeping pills to get proper rest. 

He took out his most comfortable blanket, Gilbert was about to grab a clean pillowcase when he turned away. Instead he went to his room and grabbed one of the pillows he had on his bed along with the pillow case on it. He’d changed it a few days ago so there was no point in dirtying a new one.

Right?

Gilbert shook his head at his own thoughts and he went back to the living room. He was such a creep and he knew it. Really who could blame him though? He’d been unable to be with his mate for almost seventeen years and every fibre of his being cried out to find any way to have his scent on Matthew. Even if it was the result of having given him a pillowcase he’d already used. 

Gilbert handed the items to Matthew and had to school his face to remain stoic when the omega gave him a small smile. 

“Night,” said Gilbert, turned about face and, as soon as he was out of sight, nearly ran his his bedroom. 

Yeah, there was no way that Gilbert would be able to turn away his mate. The only way that Matthew would leave was of his own volition. Because if Gilbert had his way?

Matthew would stay there forever. 

Gilbert just hoped that nothing backfired on him.

#

For the first time in what felt like ages, Matthew woke up warm and cosy. He’d fallen asleep quite swiftly under a thick comforter and a fluffy pillow that smelled like Gilbert. For some reason the older man smelled nice, even though Matthew hadn’t yet developed the senses he would in a few months when he turned seventeen. Then he’d be able to smell everything intensely, like high definition.

Even the young could smell things though and family would smell comfortable. That was what Matthew assumed that Gilbert was like to him and why the alpha smelled nice. 

His eyes closed for just a few more moments, Matthew relished the smell. He could honestly say that when Gilbert had left town that Matthew had missed the man. He was fun and made Matthew feel safe. Really, Matthew couldn’t have bumped into a better person to save him. He was happy to be here. 

He wanted to lay on the couch for a while longer but his stomach complained with a loud growl. With a rub of his eyes, Matthew gave a smile and decided on what he could do to pay Gilbert back for his hospitality. 

Going into the small kitchen, Matthew began to rummage through the cupboards and refrigerator. They were depressingly bare of foods. The fridge was well stocked with beer and cartons with leftovers of varying levels of spoilage. Luckily Matthew had been taught how to cook by his Papa and found three eggs and flour. There was no milk but crepes could be made with just water in a pinch.

He made the thin pancakes in one pan while he cooked an apple that had seen better days with sugar in another pan.

Matthew was surprised to have also found maple syrup. Not the fake stuff, but a bottle of good quality pure maple goodness. Briefly Matthew wondered if Gilbert remembered that field trip so long ago and how much Matthew had fallen in love with the sweet substance however he quickly set those thoughts aside as silly.

Why in the world would a man in his thirties remember a little kid’s trip enough to fondly buy something that reminded him of that time? It would be kind of sweet though if he did.

Before long, Matthew had plated the breakfast that he’d concocted and heard a slow shuffling of feet. Gilbert walked out from the hallway, eyes slit and mouth open in a yawn. Matthew smiled and was about to greet the alpha when Gilbert opened his eyes fully. The man’s mouth dropped and he almost seemed surprised to see Matthew in his kitchen. 

“Wha-?” mumbled Gilbert before he rubbed a hand over his face and then said, “Oh yeah. I forgot for a while there. I’ve been alone for so long. I vaguely wondered why I smelled such great food. Thought it was a neighbour or something.”

Matthew didn’t comment on the fact that Gilbert lived alone and instead brought the wrapped crepes filled with apple and drizzled in syrup over to the small two person table.

Gilbert blinked down at his food and said, “I had stuff to make this…um…pancake?”

Matthew gave a breathy laugh and said, “Hardly. I think I used the last of everything but your beer and half mouldy take-out. And they’re crepes by the way.”

“Sounds like sounding that French bas-” Gilbert winced and then amended, “That Francis would make.”

Matthew took a bite, and savoured the taste of his own cooking before he swallowed and gave Gilbert a wry smile, “You don’t need to pretend to like him. I understand that what my father did wasn’t right.”

Gilbert shrugged lethargically but ate with relish, “Whatever, he was just protecting his kid.”

Again, Matthew kept his mouth shut. Instead, he watched the alpha as they ate. Now that the dimness of the night had gone and the sun shined inside in full force, Matthew could see Gilbert in startling detail.

The man was far thinner than he’d been when Matthew was a child, almost to the point of being considered gaunt. His skin was paler than it had been and there were dark circles under the alpha’s eyes. How long hadn’t he taken care of himself? Where was his mate and why weren’t they caring for Gilbert?

So many questions that Matthew didn’t have an answer to.

Gilbert washed the dishes made during breakfast and grunted his thanks before he turned and said, “Um, feel free to use whatever you want. My stuff is your stuff.”

“Thanks! It’ll be nice to sit around inside and relax for a while.”

#

Gilbert was nearly ready to tear his own hair out. He stood in the kitchen, leaned on a wall, drank a beer, and stared at the kid as he watched television, blanket draped over his lithe shoulders. Matthew gave an adorable giggle at something funny that happened on a sitcom, and brought his legs up to curl under himself. 

The kid hadn’t stopped being cute.

Gilbert nearly smacked himself over the head when he heard himself internally call Matthew a kid. The omega was nearly an adult. It was just hard after having last seen Matthew as a young boy, now having the guy thrown into Gilbert’s life as an adult.

Well almost one. Not yet, Gilbert reminded himself. Not even sure what he thought he’d do, since he refused to touch Matthew out of fear he’d be accused of rape once more. 

With a shake of his head he spoke up, “Uh hey, I have to get to work right now, so yeah. I’ll be back in eight hours.”

He took some cash from his wallet and put it on the coffee table in front of Matthew, “Buy whatever you need. There’s a few fast food places down the road. Just turn left and keep going, you’ll see them. I’ll give you my spare key.”

The one he’d never had to use, Gilbert mused as he took the unused silver glinting metal from it’s place on the top of his TV stand. He handed it to Matthew and then tried to think of something to say.

He was pathetic and hadn’t spoken to anybody except his bosses in years. He was a complete shut in otherwise and such an unawesome loser. 

Shit.

He said, “Stay safe.”

And Gilbert took off.

#

Gilbert shut off his car in parking lot near his work and got out. The music store he worked at was just a couple of blocks away. It was run by two of the greatest people alive. 

The two people who’d saved his life. 

An alpha by the name of Elizabeta and her omega mate, Roderich.

When Gilbert had first left his childhood home and city, he’d driven for days, weeks. He just travelled. He’d taken his savings out of the bank the next town over from the one he’d grown up in, so he had enough to last a while if he was smart. That meant sleeping in his car and eating cheap. He knew he had to find a place to settle down but he was terrified of revealing who he was.

What if word of what he’d been accused of doing had gotten out? He couldn’t risk it. But he didn’t have the money to buy a fake identity. 

He was scared and had no idea what to do. He didn’t want to even think about how memories of seeing Matthew that night of the attack had haunted his every waking and sleeping moment.

So he drank. He parked his car in a parking lot that didn’t have a set of designated hours of use and just got drunk. He did this for almost a week before, one day, he’s heard a rap on the window of his car, on the side he was on. 

He woke up with a start, his drunkenness having long worn off but he’d been too lazy to go out and buy more beer to add to his back seat collection of bottles. 

He saw Elizabeta then for the first time. She smiled brightly, hands on her hips as she leaned down to stare into his car.

“You’ve been here for almost a week you know. Why?” she said in a tone that demanded an answer.

“Why do you care?” said Gilbert and tried to paste a smirk on his face and knew that he failed. 

Behind the woman was a dark haired omega whose chin was raised high, back straight and gave all of the air of somebody who felt themselves better than everybody else. That man said, “Because our home is right on the other side of that fence you are parked beside and we can see your vehicle from the kitchen. Your car is rusted and ugly. You should move it.”

Just as Gilbert was about to get out to confront the snobbish man, the woman said, “What Roderich means is that we are concerned. You don’t look well.”

Gilbert sniffed and grinned, “I’m just fine.”

“Wonderful, so move your car,” said Roderich before his mate placed a hand over his mouth. The omega scowled but silenced himself.

“Do you not have a home?” asked Elizabeta.

“Sure I do,” said Gilbert.

“Other than your car?”

“Oh then no,” said Gilbert and laughed “But the car is pretty awesome”

Elizabeta huffed and looked away, crossed her arms over her chest and appeared to be in thought for a good long while. She then turned to look at Roderich and smiled at him. They said nothing but almost instantly, the omega began to protest.

“Oh, Liza, no. Anybody else will be fine. Just not a strange man you’ve never met. He looks like a vagrant,” said Roderich, eyebrows high and mouth agape as though he was quite scandalized. 

“Let’s just give him a chance. I have a good feeling about him,” said Elizabeta.

“You’ve made up your mind already, haven’t you?”

She nodded, “Pretty much.

Then Elizabeta turned back around to Gilbert and smiled brightly, “Would you like a job?”

And that was how Gilbert met his bosses and current friends. 

He simply introduced himself as Gilbert and Elizabeta paid him under the table for the work he did. Not once did she ask about his past and for that he was more grateful than he could ever express. 

At first she’d given him basic tasks and kept an eye on him. They’d sprung for a hotel for him until he could find a place to say. After all, they were kind people but not stupid enough to let a complete stranger into their home. 

Eventually, after a year or two, they trusted Gilbert to open and close their shop when they weren’t around. 

Gilbert was broken out of his thoughts upon his arrival at the store. It was the largest and most popular music and instrument store in their city. People from other states even came to buy from them sometimes. It was a pretty great place to work and he even got to play the flute sometimes to entertain customers when he wasn’t the only one working. Otherwise he worked as hard as he could. He worked overtime and didn’t even expect to be paid for it. He’d just been so happy for a second chance. 

A soft a gentle song, played perfectly, came from the centre of the large room. The dark brown haired Roderich sat at the grand piano, eyes closed in enjoyment, gloved fingers danced over the keys. 

Elizabeta helped a customer so didn’t notice Gilbert come in. With a smirk, Gilbert crept behind Roderich and waited until the omega finished, right behind him, and kept his emotions in check so he didn’t emit enough pheromones to be scented.

As soon as the song came to an end, Gilbert playfully put both hands on Roderich’s shoulders and said, “Boo!”

With a jump nearly a foot into the air, Roderich made it to his feet and spun to glare at Gilbert, who broke out into a cackle. 

Roderich growled, “Verpiss dich.”

Get Roderich annoyed enough and he’d swear at you in German instead of in English. It was hilarious! It was a great way to blow off a little stress and Gilbert grinned down at his boss.

“So Specs, how’s it been?” asked Gilbert and stuffed his hands into his pockets and followed the omega who stomped his way to go behind the register near the back of the store. 

Roderich, despite having been annoyed at being startled, didn’t hate the pale haired alpha. Gilbert knew it for a fact. A few years after he’d met the couple, they all went out for drinks after work. A drunk Gilbert had asked if Roderich hated him and the omega had told him, in no uncertain terms that Gilbert was his friend. Even if he also called him an, “Arschloch,” right afterwards.

“It’s been fine. A little slower than normal in here,” said Roderich and sat down once more in a chair behind the counter. He picked up a dirty violin that had been brought in by a customer earlier and began to clean it up with a soft cloth and some gentle oil.

Gilbert started to do the same with another violin that had been brought in and sat down in the other chair. He stayed quiet after that and wondered all of a sudden what Matthew was doing back at the apartment.

Was he safe? Did he need anything to eat? Did Gilbert remember to keep the thermostat at a normal range? What if Matthew was cold?

“All right, what’s wrong with you?” asked Roderich, and set the violin down gently onto his own lap and frowned deeply over at Gilbert.

Gilbert chuckled, “No idea what you mean. This violin looks kinda old, I wonder if it’s worth anything. We should look it up, the guy who brought them in wants to sell them right?”

“Don’t lie to me!” said Roderich and sounded once more so stuck up and annoyed, but Gilbert knew better. The omega meant well, that was just the way Specs sounded, having grown up in a wealthy family that always spoke in a condescending manner.

“I’m awesome! Why wouldn’t I be?” said Gilbert.

Roderich was about to protest but Gilbert heard the bell ring over the door. A customer came in. Gilbert put down the violin and leapt up to go help the person.

There was no way he could tell his friends anything. He couldn’t let them know about his soul mate who was so much younger than him. Especially not when the young man was in his home right then and still not quite yet of age. 

He didn’t want everything to go to hell again.


	4. Chapter 4

|Chapter 4

 

Gilbert had thought he’d known that he wouldn’t find his mate any time soon. He’d also not had many friends other than his two bosses, Gilbert hadn’t ever had a real reason to keep his home clean. Oh sure, Gilbert always made certain to keep his dishes done and never left food out. However he didn’t remember when he’d last dusted and he was certain that the carpet had seen better days. His windows had smudges and who even knew what he’d find in his couch.

 

So when the alpha came home to a house that smelled faintly like lemons, he was surprised. He placed his shoes in their proper spot and noticed the shiny tiles under his socked feet. They’d been waxed? Gilbert knew for a fact that he hadn’t had floor wax.

 

When he saw the living room, he was taken aback. Everything he owned sparkled, not that he had many personal affects. His place was pretty barren actually, since he hadn’t taken any of his photos or heirlooms with him when he’d left his childhood home. That meant that the wall stickers that were black silhouettes of birds were a bit out of place. The blue candle on the middle of the coffee table was most definitely out of place.

 

On the couch laid Matthew, whose eyes cracked open, awakened from a nap. His arm had been trailing off of the side and still had a dusty cloth clutched in his hand.

 

“Where’d you get the decorations and the floor wax?” asked Gilbert half sat down on the arm of the couch.

 

“Um…” mumbled Matthew and used his free hand to rub his eyes, “Well I looked through your cupboards for cleaning stuff to do something to help pay you back for taking me in but I didn’t find anything. So when I went to get food I saw a dollar store first and went in, found cleaning supplies and some things to make your house look nicer.”

 

“Wait? So you didn’t eat?” asked Gilbert, perplexed.

 

Matthew blushed and looked at his feet, the toes curled.

 

With a sight of exasperation, Gilbert reached over and ruffled the boy’s hair, “Well thanks for the work. The place looks nice now. But let’s order out. I bet you haven’t eaten anything all day.”

 

“There was a small bit of frozen peas that I found,” protested Matthew.

 

His brow raised, Gilbert said, “Really? Those must be almost a year old.”

 

“They tasted all right. Maybe a little freezer burned.”

 

“Well let’s get a pizza.,” suggested Gilbert.

 

#

 

Matthew held a pizza crust in his hand and slowly picked out the soft white dough inside which he ate it bit by bit. The silence in the room felt uncomfortable and he had no idea what to say. The few bits of conversation that Matthew had tried to start sounded stilted. Of course, why would Gilbert want to talk to some kid?

 

Thus far, all he’d managed to really talk about were pizza toppings before they’d ordered. Then a brief back and forth about whether or not Matthew cared if Gilbert didn’t watch tv and instead put on some music, and finally they talked about the pizza quality and the slightly burnt crust.

 

Matthew looked around, desperate for something, anything to make conversation about. Sure he was quiet and shy, but he still wanted to talk. Then his eyes lay on the bookshelf in the corner, stuffed with books. How had he forgotten? He’d dusted them all and he had been fascinated.

 

“Have you read them all?” said Matthew and put down the slightly too charred hunk of hollowed out pizza crust on his plate.

 

Gilbert’s head whipped up to look at him before he gave a huge smirk and, with a voice full of pride and not a small bit of ego, said, “Yes, of course the awesome me has read them all. Why do you ask?”

 

“I looked over them when cleaning. You had a lot of works by German authors,” said Matthew and blushed.

 

“My parents came from Germany. I was born there actually. It was my first language and my father instilled in me a love for fine German literature.”

 

“You had a lot of Goethe though. I didn’t strike you as the type for poetry.”

 

“Poems are great! Goethe is, of course, best in German. But the English isn’t bad either.”

 

“I wish I could read his works in his mother tongue as well. Which is your favourite?”

 

Matthew smiled up at Gilbert, who in his exuberance, had stood. Gilbert placed a fist on each hip and said, “ I have it memorized:

 

AND have I lost thee evermore?  
Hast thou, oh fair one, from me flown?  
Still in mine ear sounds, as of yore,  
Thine ev'ry word, thine ev'ry tone.  
As when at morn the wand'rer's eye  
Attempts to pierce the air in vain,  
When, hidden in the azure sky,  
The lark high o'er him chaunts his strain:  
So do I cast my troubled gaze  
Through bush, through forest, o'er the lea;  
Thou art invoked by all my lays;  
Oh, come then, loved one, back to me!”

 

At some point during that recital, Matthew felt his jaw drop. He knew he’d been somewhat isolated by the protectiveness of his Papa. So he’d never seen a poetry reading in person. But he’d watched videos and the strength and yet pure emotion in Gilbert’s voice blew him away. He was amazing.

“That was beautiful,” whispered Matthew and stared in rapt awe at the grinning alpha.

“Yeah.” said Gilbert, looking nearly smug.

After that, the conversation stopped being awkward and stilted. Words flowed freely between them as they shared poetry and books they enjoyed. Matthew even tried his hand at reading a poem as well, though he was sure his voice was too quiet. Gilbert had simply given an oh so soft a smile and told him he’d done well.

It was all so nice. Until Matthew had to ruin it all.

Gilbert, almost off-handedly, said, “I wish I had all the books I had from when I still lived with my brother. There was so much more.”

Naturally Matthew had to run his stupid mouth, “So why did you leave?”

Without any warning, Gilbert’s expression shut down. He went from happy and quite vocal to stoic in an instant. Gilbert looked away and just got to his feet.

“I should get to get. Goodnight,” muttered Gilbert.

A bedroom door closed with such a soft click that Matthew almost wished the alpha had slammed it. The silence felt so much worse.

And Matthew felt like an asshole.

#

When Matthew’s eyes cracked open that morning he felt groggy. It had taken him a few too many hours to fall asleep that night because he kept beating himself up. He’d tossed and turned as he internally yelled at himself.

Of course he knew why Gilbert had left his home. Everybody with whom Matthew had spoken back at home had always asked about Gilbert in the off-handed manner that suggested the alpha’s guilt. Even Gilbert’s younger brother had once come to Matthew’s home years later to apologize.

Matthew just couldn’t stop those words from escaping as his lips flapped idiotically. Hands fisted into the blanket, Matthew sat up and racked his brain. He had to think of something to do to make the older man happy. To make up for his careless words.

Out of instinct, he went to the kitchen to search for ingredients and came up empty. Obviously the man hadn’t shopped since Matthew had arrived so there wouldn’t be anything new.

Matthew found himself in musing over something important.

Where was Gilbert’s soul-mate?

Gilbert was the same age as Matthew’s father and so would be about thirty-four years old. Had Matthew ever heard of somebody not having a mate by that age? He didn’t think he had. At least he didn’t know of any specific cases. Perhaps Gilbert’s mate had died?

That would explain the dark circles under the alpha’s eyes. The seeming lack-lustre care of his home. Alpha’s usually tried to keep their homes nice and filled with objects and furniture that they’d hope would appeal to their future mate. Omega’s did like a comfy home after-all and would be more likely to move right in with their mate if provided a nice living space.

The fact that Gilbert’s home was nearly barren, depressing and dusty, was a sign of a down-trodden alpha. That fact that, for whatever reason, Gilbert didn’t seem to have a mate made Matthew sad.

The omega wouldn’t bring up the subject to avoid the alpha becoming saddened. However he would do his best to take care of Gilbert however he could until he found his own mate. Even then, Matthew figured that he’d still come by to help Gilbert out and keep him company.

After he took a drink of water, Matthew waited until Gilbert slowly made his way out of the bedroom. Gilbert was fully dressed but yawned, scratched his back and then his chest. Once again Gilbert blinked owlishly when he saw Matthew on the couch, as if surprised at him being there. It was quick though, and soon a grin replaced the look of bewilderment.

“Waiting for me to wake up?” said Gilbert who went for a morning beer and reached into the fridge for a cold slice of pizza.

“Yes. There’s no food,” said Matthew and felt the urge to pluck the unhealthy food from Gilbert’s hand and place it back where it came from.

“Sure there is,” said Gilbert between mouthfuls of food, “Breakfast of the champions.”

A brow raised, Matthew retorted, “It’s not good for you. We should go get groceries. I used to go with Papa all the time so he could show me what to buy for recipes. I know exactly what to get.”

Matthew gave one of his sweetest smiles. He really wanted to do this for Gilbert. Part of him really needed to make the alpha live a healthier lifestyle.

 

With a heavy sigh and slouched in his chair, Gilbert grumbled, “But the pizza has tomatoes on it. That counts as a serving of fruits right.”

“No.”

Gilbert groaned. Then he made a whine under his breath. After that he sighed once more before he said, “Fiiiiiine. I’ll have you know that I don’t like to shop though. It might kill me.”

“Somehow I doubt that.”

#

As he swallowed the last bit of his egg-white breakfast sandwich that he got on a whole-wheat english muffin, Matthew went to the line of carts and pulled one out. Gilbert had insisted that Matthew eat before he walked around a store for an hour. They’d found a place to buy something that was relatively low in fat and were both satisfied.

They walked into the store and right away, Gilbert veered away from the produce aisle and began to walk through the front.

“Where are you going?” asked Matthew and stopped the cart in front of a display of bananas.

“The freezer section?” said Gilbert, but the man looked around himself as if nervous.

He probably just wasn’t used to shopping for himself. Matthew smiled. He could do some good here.

“You need to buy fruits and vegetables first.”

Gilbert stuck out his tongue and pretended to gag, “I’d rather not.”

“How old are you even?” said Matthew.

At that Gilbert sobered and once again looked around, almost as if he made sure nobody was around? Matthew wasn’t certain.

“Same age as your father,” muttered Gilbert and didn’t meet Matthew’s inquisitive gaze.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Matthew ignored Gilbert’s odd behaviour and said, “But you’re acting like a toddler who doesn’t want to eat his peas.”

“Hey I had peas in the freezer. So I do eat veggies sometimes.”

Matthew scoffed and replied, “But you told me they were over a year old.”

Gilbert crossed his arms.

“Come on,” said Matthew and picked out a cheerfully yellow bunch of bananas before he moved onto apples, “I’ll prove to you that eating healthy is tasty.”

“But why do I even have to?” whined Gilbert and scowled at a bag of gala apples  that Matthew placed into the shopping cart.

“You had apples in your fridge when I got here,” said Matthew.

“Yeah ‘cause a friend bought them for me,” said Gilbert, “I only ate a couple before I got bored of them.”

“Well I’m going to open your eyes,” said Matthew and picked up a ripe and juicy mango, “Have you ever had one of these?”

“No, it looks weird.”

Matthew shook his head and put the fruit in the cart, “You’ll see.”

They went through that for most of the produce section while Gilbert complained about Matthew’s choices. He complained the most about the veggies. As they approached the first aisle, Gilbert’s eyes lit up, “Yeah, yeah. Now this is where the good stuff is.”

Those words were supported by the alpha who placed several bags of candies into the cart. Gummy worms, bears, and rings. Skittles and Starbursts. Liquorices and Swedish berries. He’d grabbed all of those things in the time span of a minute.

Matthew was aghast.

“It’s official. You are a child in a man’s body,” giggled Matthew and smiled brightly to hopefully let it be known that he jested.

“You’ve just never had the chance to fully live, having grown up under the oppressive food rules of Francis,” said Gilbert, “Hell the only store bought treat I ever saw you eat that one cookie that you bought for me all of those years ago.”

Matthew tilted his head to the side and said, “What time was that?”

“You were four and thought I needed to be cheered up so you got Francis to buy me a cookie which I shared with you.”

“Cute.”

Gilbert snickered, “That’s what I thought.”

Matthew tried to turn away and out of the junk food aisle but found that a strong grip had placed itself on the end of the buggy and pulled it to continue it’s journey towards the potato chips.

“We’ve got to get some of these as well,” said Gilbert, “Oh and some chocolate too.”

Matthew shook his head in fond amusement. He didn’t really mind. Such a domestic seeming chore, but he already had so much fun. He and Gilbert fell right into conversation as if they had been friends for years.

#

After they set down the last bag of groceries, Gilbert huffed out a dramatic breath, tried to sound more tired than he actually was. He leaned against the counter and smirked at the plastic bags.

“So do you think we got enough?” cackled Gilbert and picked up a box of jalapeño poppers and put it into the freezer.

“More than, if you weren’t so determined to counteract every healthy choice I tried to make,” said Matthew and set a small pack of chicken breasts in the fridge that he’d said would be for supper that night.

“I had to get some things that I am able to make. I can’t cook for shit and won’t be able to use half the crap you bought. You know that right?” said Gilbert, putting a bag of frozen onion rings beside the poppers.

“I’ll show you,” said Matthew, suddenly beside Gilbert.

So close that Gilbert swore he could feel the soft puffs of warm breath from the omega. He took a step back while he tried to appear to actually want to put more food away. However no matter where he moved, his body would graze against Matthew’s. It wasn’t anybody’s fault of course, the kitchen wasn’t made for two to work in at the same time. That fact, however, didn’t stop the spot where their skin brushed from tingling.

“Let’s start out with lunch,” said Matthew and pulled out some carrots and some squash, “You can peel the carrots.”

Gilbert took the orange veggies in his hands and stared at them. He could peel a carrot. That he could do.

Matthew began to work at the squash and used a knife to get off the hard beige skin. The kid (no damn it, not a kid) was pretty good at it. He must have helped that asshole Francis every night with that sort of talent with a knife.

He went to the only spot available on the counter and Gilbert stood right beside Matthew. The omega’s warmth radiated into Gilbert and a chill went down his spine. He wanted to throw down the stupid carrots and wrap Matthew in a hug. He didn’t though. Gilbert just methodically peeled the veggies and tried not to think about how he could smell Matthew’s sweet scent.

 

Gilbert really hated to pine like he was. It made him feel like an incredibly huge pervert. Matthew was not yet of age.

“You’ve peeled that side twice,” said Matthew, even his soft voice made Gilbert want to shiver.

“Ah, sorry,” said Gilbert, “I have so many great things to think of that I lose track of what I’m doing sometimes.”

“Like what?” asked Matthew and chopped the butternut squash in half.

Normally, Gilbert would think that somebody saying that sort of thing would have implied that he lied. This time, however, he somehow knew that Matthew honestly wanted to know what had been on Gilbert’s mind.

Mind raced, Gilbert blurted out that first thing that came to mind without much thought, “Sex!”

“Oh,” said Matthew and blush formed and he scooped the stringy innards out of the fruit, “I, uh, I see. Um, chop the carrots into pieces please.”

He fumbled to fix what he’d just blurted out like an unstoppable moron, Gilbert said, “No, not like that. It’s just that I saw a tv thing last week on animals having sex.”

Matthew’s his shoulders shook, he giggled, and then put down his knife, “Do you think about that a lot?”

“What? I-no?” said Gilbert, turned to face Matthew and sputtered, “You’re making fun of me!”

After he wiped a tear from under his eye, Matthew said, “Maybe a little. You did make it easy.”

Gilbert put down his own knife and grinned ear to ear, “Oh? Let’s see how well you can make fun of me when you can’t speak.”

Without letting the omega a chance to move, Gilbert began to tickle the other. Matthew leaned against the fridge, squirmed and caused magnets to fall off , a few receipts fluttered to the ground. Laughter bubbled from Matthew, as soft and gentle as his voice.

The skin under Gilbert’s fingers was soft and so smooth and the alpha knew right then that tickling Matthew hadn’t been the wisest decision. The omega writhing right beside him made Gilbert’s lower half feel warm. He knew that his impure thoughts were out of place and he should stop.

But damn his perverted as fuck self, he wouldn’t until Matthew told him to.

“Uncle!” cried Matthew and sighed with relief when Gilbert stopped, “You play dirty.”

Gilbert chuckled and went to chop the last carrot.

Matthew really had no idea. And didn’t that just make Gilbert feel like a old creep.

#

That night, as he lay in bed, Gilbert stared at the ceiling, hand on his stomach. He hadn’t felt so happy and full of good home-made food in a long time. His entire body just felt warm. Matthew had made soup for lunch with a baguette they’d bought to dip. Then for supper he’d made a chicken stir fry that was full of veggies as well but tasted like it was from a restaurant.

Gilbert didn’t know if it was the fact that Matthew was his soul mate and he was biased. But he really felt that the omega could be a chef. A great one if he wanted.

As with dinner, Matthew has tried to show Gilbert how to cook but the older man was focused on the proximity of other. It was sad really.

Gilbert assumed it was simply because he hadn’t been able to get it up for anybody since he’d discovered what Matthew was going to be to him. Almost seven years of just his own hand for release would do that to an alpha.

He lifted his hand above his face and Gilbert stared, “Are you and I going to slap the salami again tonight old friend?”

Just as his hand began to creep down below the hem of his track pants, he heard an ear piercing scream ring out from the living room. Nothing could make him go instantly soft such as Matthew’s cry of fear.

Gilbert jumped out and bed and ran, baseball bat in hand and almost stumbled into the living room, Gilbert looked around to see who was attacking. Nobody was there. The room was empty, save Matthew.

Matthew wriggled helplessly on the couch, face contorted in a grimace of pain and fear. Tears leaked from between clenched eyes and hands white knuckled in the cushions of the couch.

After he stepped over the blanket that had fallen to the ground in all of Matthew’s fear induced writhing, Gilbert knelt beside Matthew’s head. He didn’t want to hurt or scare the boy, but the crying nearly broke his heart.

He ran the tips of his fingers down Matthew’s face, he said, “Hey, wake up.”

Violet eyes popped open with a gasp and the omega flew up into a sitting position. Gilbert moved to the empty position and gently placed a hand on Matthew’s shoulder. Matthew’s hand was over his heart seemingly unable to catch a breath.

“It’s okay. It was just a nightmare,” said Gilbert and squeezed the trembling shoulder he touched.

With frantic wide eyes, Matthew cried out and flung himself at Gilbert. The omega’s fingers gripped Gilbert’s back hard and would probably make marks come morning. Hard sobs wracked through Matthew’s body, tears flowed freely down his cheeks and soaked into Gilbert’s sleeveless black shirt. He cried so hard that his breathing sounded erratic and Gilbert felt helpless to do anything but hold Matthew close.

After what had to have been a half an hour, Matthew’s tears subsided to light sniffles and then to a soft and almost even breathing. As Gilbert had held Matthew, he’d found himself laid on his back on the couch. Matthew was draped over him and appeared to be almost peaceful. There was really no way that Gilbert could justify the attempt to move and thus an awakened Matthew.

So he just tried to fall asleep as they were.

It was easier than he thought, as he drifted off in almost comfort.

#

That morning, as Matthew began to feel the stirrings of wakefulness, he noticed that the couch felt warmer than normal. Even his pillow was warm.

In fact, it seemed to move.

Matthew came to full awareness then and there and stifled a gasp as his eyes cracked open to see Gilbert jaw of barely there white stubble. His pink lips parted and whispery snores could be heard only because of Matthew’s closeness. Gilbert’s white lashes fluttered a few times before his red eyes were visible and that entire handsome face turned to look at Matthew.

Unable to help the blush that formed due to his thoughts about the man he had known as a child, he sat up and looked at his lap. Honestly, he struggled to remember exactly why he awoke to find himself laying on Gilbert, so comfortable.

“Um, why were you under me,” asked Matthew while he wrung his hands. He hoped that Gilbert understood that Matthew did not mean to accuse him of anything.

That intense gaze searched Matthew’s face, shoulders squared and back straight and tense before Gilbert visibly relaxed and he said, “You woke up screaming. When I went to see what was happening you flung yourself at me and cried yourself to sleep. Didn’t have the heart to wake you up.”

“Oh,” said Matthew.

He’d never fallen asleep on a night where he’d had a nightmare. Those nights were always filled with fear and warm milk in front of the TV beside Papa. The fact that Matthew had fallen asleep so easily near Gilbert was astounding.

“Yeah, so do you want to, y’know, talk about it,” said Gilbert, added a seemingly sheepish, “Or something.”

He gulped and, Matthew closed his eyes, said, “I still have nightmares from the night that I was attacked. Therapy has helped a lot. I used to have them every night and waking moment. But they never go away fully. Sorry you had to deal with it.”

With a shake of his head, Gilbert said, “I don’t mind. It’s the least I can do.”

“Even though I’m a an unwanted houseguest.”

He scoffed and Gilbert said, “You really aren’t unwanted. I don’t mind in the slightest that you’re here.”

“You mean it?” said Matthew, having felt so guilty about intruding and then waking Gilbert from his sleep that night.

“Yeah, I do. When I say you can stay as long as you need to,” assured Gilbert.

All Matthew could do was give a shy smile. He was happy.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After that night a routine of sorts began to form.

Gilbert was the one to go to work and make money for the household. Though he tried not to think too hard about why it made him so happy to provide for his future omega, he was never-the-less over the moon. He knew that he shouldn’t get too excited about Matthew becoming his mate, the teen, soon to be man, was sure to be disgusted when he came of age and discovered that his alpha was an old man. That knowledge, of course, didn’t stop Gilbert’s excitement.

In fact, he knew that he should convince Matthew to call Francis. Gilbert’s former friend was probably out of his mind with worry for his child. But after what the man had done to ruin Gilbert’s life, he didn’t exactly care. 

Was it immature of him to think? Yes. 

Gilbert didn’t give a shit.

In any case, Matthew seemed happy for the time being. He spent his days at home to clean and cook. Gilbert always tried to convince Matthew that he really didn’t have to spend his days scrubbing counters, floors, and walls. It seemed that Matthew didn’t really care because every single day, Gilbert came home to a sparkling clean house that smelled of fresh air and lemons. He’d have a fresh hot supper that awaited him and a Matthew who had bright happy eyes. 

Life couldn’t get any better and Gilbert was on cloud nine. Roderich and Elizabeta had noticed his improved mood and even some of the store’s regular customers commented on his apparent joy.

Perhaps that was why Gilbert hardly even though twice about going to a department store after work and the fact that he began to load a cart with items.

He didn’t really notice, as he piled his stuff on the check out counter, that he most of it wasn’t for himself. Loads of new clothing for Matthew, polar bear slippers, and some chocolate.

He didn’t think twice about his arrival at home and the look on Matthew’s face when he presented the omega with the full bags, and watched as those violet eyes sparkled with delight. Gilbert sat back and watched with a wide grin as Matthew came and went from the bathroom and paraded off his new outfits.

He definitely did not complain when Matthew gave him a huge hug and told Gilbert that he was so happy to have met him again and asked what he can do to repay the favour. Gilbert brushed that off when he said that Matthew had done enough. And the omega really had done so much just with his presence. 

No. It wasn’t until Gilbert was once again laying in his bed, his gaze at his ceiling that it occurred to him that he was trying to woo his mate. His alpha instincts demanded that Gilbert provide as much as possible for his mate. 

That night, Gilbert fell asleep and tried to pretend he hadn’t come to that realization.

#

As he walked back over to the kitchen after supper one night a few weeks after Matthew first came to stay with him, Gilbert set down a large stack of textbooks onto the table.

Matthew tilted his head in the most adorable way and asked, “What’s this?”

“I looked up what you’d be learning this year and got all of the textbooks for the basic courses that are required,” said Gilbert, and sat down across from Matthew and sipped from his after dinner beer, “Obviously, if you don’t want your father to find you, you can’t actually do the work officially and have it counted until you are of age. But I want you to be doing school-work.”

He bit his lower lip, Matthew opened the first text, mathematics. He flipped through the pages and then set it aside to look at the rest of the books. 

“I’d be happy to do this,” said Matthew, “but wouldn’t you rather I go out and find a job to help pay for things around the house?”

With a shake of his head and a stern look, Gilbert said, “What I’d like for you to do is to continue your education. That is the most important thing for me.”

“Are you sure? Not everybody really cares if omegas graduate. Most people don’t even expect that since a good portion of omegas get pregnant at seventeen. I don’t think my soul mate will care,” said Matthew and shrugged but already looked very interested at the senior grade university level English.

With a huff and the use of great restraint, Gilbert said, “I think they will care. But in any case, if your soul mate doesn’t want you to have an education to expand your options in life, than he doesn’t deserve you.”

Gilbert resisted the urge to cringe at his slip up of referring to the male gender of Matthew’s soul mate.

The omega didn’t seem to notice as he smiled beatifically and said, “Well all right then.”

#

About a week after Matthew was given his textbooks, he sat, curled up on the end of the couch and read from a biology book. It was so incredibly boring and Matthew struggled to keep his focus on learning. Only the knowledge of what Gilbert wanted for him was enough to keep Matthew’s eyes on the words.

So when the alpha in question came into view and cleared his throat, Matthew was more than happy to see what he wanted.   
Around Gilbert’s neck was a big fluffy black towel, “Hey, I’m going to take a shower to get ready to go out.”

“Oh!” said Matthew and set aside his book, “Should I also get ready?”

Gilbert shook his head, “Not this time, I’m going out with some friends for the night.”

Matthew nodded. 

He heard the shower start, a room away, Matthew decided that he had done enough studying for the day and turned on the television. Halfway through some sort of medical drama, there came a knock at the door.

The sound of the water running still sit Matthew’s ears, Gilbert always seemed to take extra long showers, Matthew answers the door himself.

And felt the breath get knocked out of his lungs.

Stood with graceful poise in the hall was a tall man with silky and tidy brown hair. The man had dark violet eyes, glasses perched on a delicate nose, and a beauty mark to the side of his chin. His clothing was elegant in rich hues of violet with a white cravat covering most of his slender neck. He was more slender in build than Matthew and also an omega, though obviously older with the few lines on his face that didn’t at all detract from his appeal. Matthew felt that the man was far more beautiful than himself. 

For some reason that Matthew didn’t understand, his heart felt like it had begun to sink to his stomach.

“Um, H-hello,” Matthew managed to choke out, “Are you here for Gilbert?”

The older omega nodded and said, “Yes. I am Roderich, and you are?”

“M-Matthew,” he replied and gestured for the man to come inside.

Roderich came in, took off his shoes, and sat on the couch. Matthew perched on the edge of the chair after he let Gilbert know that his friend had arrived, and tried to look anywhere else but the gorgeous omega. He didn’t know why this Roderich’s appearance even bothered him. 

Neither of them spoke, and eventually Gilbert came out of his room. Gilbert was dressed much the same as always in his fitted black jeans, black button up shirt and leather jacket. 

“Hey Roddy!” said Gilbert, with a fondness in his voice that he didn’t seem to feel the need to hide. 

“Took you long enough,” chided Roderich, stood immediately and headed to the door. 

Gilbert grinned and clamped a hand on ‘Roddy’s’ shoulder (Matthew had to resist scowling when he heard that nickname).

“Don’t be a priss now. Tonight’s going to be fun,” said Gilbert who then turned to Matthew, “Hey Matt, don’t wait up all right? No idea how long I’ll be out for.”

Matthew nodded, Gilbert could go out with friends if he wanted. It wasn’t his place to stop him really. Though as soon as the door clicked shut, Matthew flopped back into the chair fully with a deep sigh on his lips. A roiling grossness filled him and made him grind his teeth. Why did he feel so jealous?

Matthew had no idea but he wanted to rip that stupid cravat off of that damn jerk-faced Roderich.

#

It had been way too long since Gilbert had properly hung out with his friends. He bounced in the booth seat to the rhythm of the music that played in the background of the pub , popped a cheesy nacho into his mouth, and washed it down with a swig of frosty beer. 

Elizabeta reached to take a triangle, one with the most cheese and Gilbert mock growled, while he bared his teeth playfully, “Hey go get your own.”

“No, I don’t want to. These ones look really good.”

Gilbert brought the basket of tortilla chips close to him and wrapped both arms around it protectively like it was his baby, “My food. Piss off, I don’t share.”

“So greedy!” huffed Eliza, and got up in a huff to buy her and her mate some snacks as well as more drinks.

She came back soon despite the day and how crowded the place was, probably because of her stunning looks and strong alpha presence. Eliza usually got her way fast. She put down a glass of wine for her omega and a tumbler of whiskey for herself. There was also a huge plate of fries. Gilbert sort of wished he’d shared earlier because those chips looked good. 

“Stop eye-balling these you pig, you made your choice,” she said of her French-fries and then pointed a finger at him, “But we have more important things to discuss.”

Roderich chimed in, “Yes, quite. How about we start with that young omega in your home?”

Suddenly Gilbert no longer felt hungry. In fact, he kind of wanted to throw up. When he’d told Roderich and Eliza that he’d come out for the night, he didn’t even think about Matthew in his home. In fact, he hadn’t even had second thoughts about that fact that Roderich had met his future-soul mate until right that very moment.

Absently, he nibbled the edge of a tortilla, he frowned, then said, “It’s nothing.”

Roderich frowned right back and retorted, “Well he clearly lives with you. His belongings were all over your apartment.”

Eliza raised a brow and then whistled, “Does Gilly have a boyfriend?”

Roderich shook his head, “I doubt it. The omega was quite young.”

“Oh come on Bogárkám, I doubt that he was that young,” said Elizabeta, cooed out that pet name for her omega, her accent getting a tinge of her native Hungarian.

“In fact he was, though granted if he wasn’t of age yet, he would be soon enough. But still,” said Roderich with shrug.

Eliza looked over to Gilbert for his input, he saw that out of the corner of his eye and frowned down into his beer. He really didn’t want to do this and have that kind of discussion. 

“So Gilbert? Care to explain?” said Elizabeta and added with a lewd grin, “Is he your mate?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” grumbled Gilbert and angrily bit into a nacho. 

The mates gave each other looks for a moment and then Eliza turned her head back to Gilbert slower then before. 

“Come on, just spill it.”

With gritted teeth and heavy breath through his nose, Gilbert shook his head. 

“Gilbert, why can’t you tell me. I trusted you all of those years ago when I first found you. Can’t you return the favour?” said Elizabeta, leaned forward, brows furrowed, and lips thinned after she spoke. 

He slammed his hands onto the table, Gilbert yelled, “Because if I tell you than all of that will change.”

A beat of silence and then Roderich, of all people, spoke, “We have known for a while that you must have been running away from something in your past. You don’t speak of where you’ve come from and anything before you arrived. We don’t even know your last name. You must admit that it is suspicious.”

Eliza added, “And yet we are still your friends.”

He took a deep breath in and out, Gilbert then drained the rest of his beer. He ordered a pitcher for himself and then, when it arrived, he spoke. 

He told his two friends everything. He spoke of everything that had happened between himself and Matthew since the omega was born. He told them how Matthew was his mate. Told them how the boy had been raped and Gilbert had been blamed. Told them how his family turned on him and didn’t trust him. How he’d run away. Run like a coward.

How he’d met Matthew once more after the boy himself had left his home. 

The entire time, he refused to meet the eyes of his friends. Refused to see their scorn and disgust. After-all, Gilbert himself knew he was disgusting, must be to have had such a young mate, even if he never lusted after Matthew when the omega was a child. That didn’t matter. He was gross.

And what if they didn’t believe him. 

Gilbert jumped a mile into the air when he felt Eliza’s warm arms encircle him in a hug. His gaze darted up and around himself and he saw the attempt that Roderich made to hide the wateriness in his eyes. 

“Oh Gil hunny,” said Elizabeta, “You’ve been through so much. Why would we judge you?”

Gilbert shrugged, “Everybody else did, including my little brother.”

Upon Elizabeta’s gestures, Roderich also shimmied closer and hugged Gilbert.

“Well we trust you. You are a good alpha,” said Elizabeta.

A flush of happiness filled Gilbert and he closed his eyes and allowed himself be embraced by his friends. It is as if part of a weight falls from his shoulders, crumbling away.

“Thanks! This is awesome. We should drink more to celebrate,” grinned Gilbert ear to ear. 

Eliza just rolled her eyes and poured some beer. 

#

After taking a taxi back home, nearly too drunk to remember his home address, Gilbert stumbled over to the door. The key hole seemed to move around and avoid his key.

“Hey, stop being a jerk,” mumbled Gilbert and he smacked the door with what was meant to be forceful and ended up being a gentle swat.

The three friends had been out quite late. Gilbert didn’t even know the time. He’d looked at his phone previously and hadn’t quite been able to figure out how to find the time. It didn’t help that the numbers and letters on his cell phone blurred together. 

Finally the door relinquished it’s secrets and opened for him, Gilbert whooped a quiet cheer of success. 

He didn’t bother (or remember) to take off his shoes and instead walked inside. Maybe he could eat some of Matt’s leftovers? Oh that’d be great.

Except that he didn’t make it out of the entrance hallway and tripped over something large on the ground. He stumbled three steps before he righted himself on a wall. Gilbert moved, flailed his arms, and hit something warm that said, “Ouch.”

With a yelp and then a squint at the warm and fleshy wall in front of him, he realized it was Matthew.

“Oh hey. What’re you doing awake?” said Gilbert, always able vocalise his thoughts, even if he couldn’t always remember what was going on and admittedly, when drunk, he didn’t have a brain to mouth filter that worked very well.

Or at all.

Matthew simply made a grunt and put one of Gilbert’s arms around his shoulders in support and begins to lead him to…somewhere. Gilbert sighed and let himself be led and supported. He giggled in joy, too drunk to care about whether or not an alpha would giggle in such an omegaish way.

Gilbert comes to a sudden stop when Matthew stiffened and halted his progress down the hallway. 

“Huh? What?” asked Gilbert, rested his head on Matthew’s shoulder, and tried to nuzzle at Matthew’s neck.

“Nothing,” said Matthew in what had to have been the snippiest voice he’d made since Gilbert had met the omega.

“What’s up?” asked Gilbert, not really thinking anything had been that wrong, unless, “Did I hurt you when I tripped on you?”

Tight-lipped, Matthew shook his head and picked up his pace, Gilbert hardly kept up. 

“Okay, I’m seriously thinking something is wrong here in that case,” said Gilbert, and almost tripped on the hall carpet and turned to try and face Matthew. 

Matthew crossed his arms and stormed away with a pissy little huff, his normally nearly silent footfalls became a little louder than any other person’s walk. Gilbert frowned deeply and stumbled after the omega. It took him far too long but he eventually caught up with Matthew. The teen was standing by the window and looked out and up.

“Hey come on,” said Gilbert.

Matthew maintained his silence.

“Jeez, why are you being so damn moody after everything I’ve done for you?” asked Gilbert.  
With sluggish senses unable to keep up, Gilbert hardly saw Matthew spin around and snarl, “I have no idea what’s wrong and I want to be left alone.”

“Fine,” said Gilbert, “I’ll leave you alone until you stop acting like a child.”

Gilbert walked away, fairly certain he heard the words, hoser and jerk. He didn’t think too hard about it. As soon as he hit the bed he fell asleep. 

#

 

Gilbert’s first sensation when he woke up as that of a pain that felt as if his skull had split in two. He sure could hold his beer but he’d always regret it the next day. He tried to open his eyes only to find that his usually open curtains had been closed and he knew that Matthew was behind it, since before the omega’s arrival, Gilbert had barely been aware that he’d owned curtains. He vowed to thank Matthew because light sensitivity during hangovers sucked balls. 

He scrubbed a hand over his face, Gilbert sat up to find two Tylenol and a glass of water on his bedside stand. He truly was blessed. 

He didn’t remember coming home or even getting to bed. But Gilbert figured that he must have woken Matthew up if the boy knew he was drunk.

Gilbert got up sluggishly, he changed into sweatpants and a white tee. Then he wandered out.

Huh. For the first time since Matthew came to live with him, Gilbert didn’t smell the cooking of breakfast. He wondered if Matthew felt all right. 

What he did come out to find was Matthew slouched on the couch, perfectly fine in appearance, and his nose in a book. The omega normally greeted him cheerfully.

This time Gilbert was ignored as he entered the room. No attention paid as he plopped unceremoniously onto the couch. He scooted closer and was still largely ignored. Though he noticed Matthew nearly plaster his body against the arm of the couch in an apparent effort to get even farther away from him.

Damn. Did Gilbert do something the night previous?

”Hey, I’m starved and there’s no way I’m able to make food with this splitting headache. Thanks for the water and the pills by the way,” said Gilbert and tried to fill the silence that not a month previous, he’d been accustomed to.

Silence. 

“Wanna go out to get some food?”

Matthew shook his head but still didn’t lower his book.

Gilbert ran a hand through his hair and then said, “Okay. I’ll bring some back for you then.”

He wondered what he’d done wrong to upset Matthew. 

#

Matthew flinched even as the front door was closed rather gently. He knew that he was being a child, like Gilbert had suggested last night. Still, Matthew couldn’t bring himself to speak to the alpha. He’d been unable to resist at least getting the man something for the pain he’d be sure to face upon waking. Still, he didn’t make breakfast as a punishment for Gilbert’s words the night before, despite how petulant the action.

All because he was upset not only at what had been said, but at something else more important.

When Matthew had helped Gilbert walk to the bedroom, a smell wafted over to him. Gilbert reeked of another omega. It upset Matthew in ways that he didn’t understand. 

Perhaps Gilbert had met his soul mate finally? Or spend time with some other omega for some reason? Perhaps that Roderich fellow?

Matthew had to swallow back bile that tried to rise in his throat at the simple thought.

So instead of thinking more about his unfounded jealousy, Matthew continued to read. Only he couldn’t focus. He read the same paragraph over and over until Gilbert barged back into the apartment, arms laden with bags and bags full of food. 

Matthew had been just about to put his book down but put it back up, almost touched his nose to the pages when he saw the pale-haired alpha waltz in and set down the bags along with some plastic forks. 

“We can eat from the boxes to avoid dirtying dishes if you aren’t feeling well,” said Gilbert and opened a box filled with home-fries and dug in, “The walk helped perk me up a little bit.”

Matthew didn’t look at the food even as his stomach rumbled. He smelled eggs and bacon. Also sausages.

Gilbert swallowed and groaned, “Come on. You’ve gotta tell me what I’ve done. I never remember nights when I drink that much.”

Putting down his book, Matthew reached for the food in an effort to avoid answering. Gilbert grabbed his wrist in a gentle hand and said, “Please.”

Matthew sighed and blurted, “Was the omega I met last night your mate?”

“Who? Roddy?”

Matthew nodded. He tried to avoid the urge to bite his lip or to let them quiver. 

He blinked twice, Gilbert then burst out into raucous laughter. He put down his box of food and slapped his knee before he said, “Roderich is not mine. He’s mated to an alpha friend of mine. Elizabeta. They’re both close friends but nothing more.”

That explained that. Matthew’s shoulder’s sagged in relief and he sucked his lips into his mouth. Mentally he chastised himself to playing with his lips, doing so always gave away when he was deep in thought.

Thankfully, however, Gilbert either didn’t notice or didn’t say anything. The man had gone back to shovelling his face full of food. 

Did the alpha truly not remember the night before? The words that Gilbert had spoke had been upsetting to say the least. They made Matthew feel like…

Before he could think any harder he blurted, “Is my being here a burden on you?”

He raised both brows and then Gilbert said, “No, why?”

“Well me being here must be keeping you away from your soul mate and I don’t want that. I don’t want to be troublesome.”

Once more, Gilbert broke out into that raspy laughter of his. The kind that almost came from his throat in a hissing sound. Shiny red eyes looked up at Matthew and seemed to pierce right through him. 

“That’s that farthest thing from my mind Matthew. What brought this on?” said Gilbert and slid over and gave the omega a hug with one arm. 

Matthew leaned into the warmth and whispered, “You said some things while drunk last night. That’s all.”

Gilbert frowned, “Well I will do everything in my power to avoid getting drunk again, okay?”

A smile and then, “Okay.”

#

A couple of weeks later and Matthew flipped over the last page in the last textbook that Gilbert bought him. He was done studying what he would have learned in school that year. Papers are placed in neat little piles in front of him on the kitchen table and Matthew put them all together and slipped the stacks into a folder.

It had been easy for him, since he’d always learned best independently. He just wished that he was able to turn in his work for evaluation and to get credit for his efforts. 

He knew, however, that were he to do so, he’d reveal his location to his father. 

Matthew wasn’t ready for that even though he understood how unfair he was being to his father. 

In fact, the more time that went by, the guiltier he felt at not having called his parent even once. 

He frowned at the glossy cover of the book and, as soon as Gilbert walked into the room Matthew said, “Can you buy me a cheap pre-paid phone?”

“I could add a second phone onto my plan if you wanted,” Said Gilbert, towelling off his hair from the shower he’d just had.

“I don’t really need that,” said Matthew, “I just need one of those flip phones that you can throw away so I can let Papa know that I’m still alive.”

Gilbert grumbled and just as Matthew was about to tell the alpha to forget about it, the older man said, “Okay. I get it. You want to go now?”

“Yes!”

There was a phone shop a few blocks away so the two of them walked and made idle chatter amongst themselves. The cell itself was surprising inexpensive, though Matthew supposed that made sense with a phone that was mainly designed to be temporary. 

They went to a park that was down the road and sat on a bench under a large oak tree. Matthew simply held the flip phone in his hand, then turned it over and over again. He breathed in and out deeply through his nose before he opened the phone and dialled the ever familiar number of his father, Gilbert’s hand on his shoulder a warm and comforting weight. 

“Hello?” said the usually warm and French accented voice, that, over the phone, sounded dull and listless.

Matthew opened his mouth but no words came out, just a soft exhalation. 

“Who is this?” asked Francis having grown a more irritated tone. 

“It’s me Papa,” said Matthew, quiet and braced himself for what he was sure was to come. 

There was, however, nothing. Not a sound after a quick gasp. Matthew was so tempted to hang up but he couldn’t not yet. Gilbert rubbed Matthew’s upper back and the omega closed his eyes.

Then it came, “Mon Dieu, you are alive. You are really alive! I had no idea what could have happened to you, if you were lying dead in a gutter or a forest. Where have you been? Where are you now? I will come and get you.”

“Papa, I’m fine. Really.”

“How can you be fine? You aren’t home. That is where you are the safest.”

“I am safe.”

“No you aren’t. Just let me know where you are my little lamb. I will come get you and make sure that nobody ever kidnaps you again.”

Matthew furrowed his brows, “Kidnapped?”

“Of course! Why else were you gone? I’ll make sure to put even better locks on the doors and instead of wood over your window I will put heavy steel. We can share a room, the master bedroom is large enough for two beds. I’ve already installed an alarm system so nobody will take you again.”

As his father spoke, Matthew felt his eyes twitch. More and more, free hand clenched until finally the dam burst and Matthew blurted, “That’s why I left in the first place! I. Left. Home. I wasn’t kidnapped. I left of my own volition. Was it stupid? Yeah probably. But I couldn’t stand how over protective you are. I understand why you want so badly for me to be safe but I was the one who was raped and even I’m not that paranoid!

You need to just…just stop. Please papa. I’m safe where I am and I’m happy. I just called to let you know I was alive and safe.”

“Matthew- my sweet darling, pl-”

“Goodbye for now Papa.”

And Matthew hung up before he could hear anything more. Every ounce of energy felt as if it had drained out of him and he slumped on the bench. 

“Um, well,” started Gilbert, “Uh, you want to go get ice cream?”

Matthew was so glad that Gilbert didn’t pry, not that the alpha hadn’t been there to hear most of that conversation anyway. It was nice not to have to repeat what had been said. 

So instead Matthew said, “Yes! And did you know? It’s my birthday in a week.”

Gilbert shrugged and smirked, “Oh is it? I had noooo idea.”

Matthew swatted the alpha’s arm, “You did so. I marked it on the calendar I put up. I’ve seen you checking it.”

“Nope. Not even a little bit.”

“Liar,” grinned Matthew and felt better already after that stressful phone call. 

Gilbert smiled back, “Probably.”

#

That week dragged by so slowly that sometimes Matthew swore that he’d wake up and he’d have gone back a day in time. He was so excited for his seventeenth birthday that he could barely sleep, found himself dancing when he thought Gilbert wasn’t watching and sang badly in the shower. 

Though when Gilbert sung back, just as off tune, from across the apartment, Matthew had nearly slipped in the tub with laughter at their childish selves. 

So when July first finally rolled around, Matthew awoke at his usual early time to find that he smelled something strange. 

It smelled as if an alien broke into the apartment and brought food from its own planet which it then promptly burned to a crisp. 

Matthew knew what had awoken him was that sound of a window being flung open and a hushed voice that pleaded up at the smoke alarm to, “Please don’t go off, I swear I’ll buy you brand name batteries next time.”

Sitting up and saw that there wasn’t as much smoke in the apartment as he imagined from the smell, Matthew peeked up over the back of the couch.

“What’re you doing?” asked Matthew.”

Gilbert’s gaze darted to Matthew and he looked like a deer in headlights for only a moment before he said, “Birthday breakfast?”

That was pretty sweet actually. Matthew rested the side of his head on the top of the couch and said, “Would you like some help?”

“No! Not on your most important birthday,” said Gilbert, “Um. I can try again?”

Matthew shook his head, “I’m not so sure that is wise. The neighbours might wonder what’s going on. Maybe we can go out to eat?”

“Okay, yeah. That sounds good.”

It wasn’t until they’d arrived at the breakfast bar and were almost done their food that Gilbert announced, “We have plans all day.”

“Huh? You didn’t have to do that,” said Matthew before he swallowed the last gulp of his orange juice.

“Of course I do!” said Gilbert, “Everybody should have a great seventeenth birthday.”

After their breakfast, Gilbert dragged Matthew to the mall.

“Is there something special going on here today or something?” asked Matthew, eyeing the Apple store as they passed, his eyes fixed longingly on an iPod. 

“Yes, you are going to pick out whatever you want. Go wild,” said Gilbert with his arms spread wide, “Pick one thing or many things.”

“I can’t do that,” replied Matthew and felt his cheeks heat, “It’s your money.”

“That’s right. It is and I’ve been saving it for years with nothing really to do with it all. I’m well paid at my job you know.”

He stared at his worn sneakers as he walked, Matthew wondered how he could attempt to dissuade Gilbert. Providing for Matthew wasn’t his job and though the alpha had seemingly taken him in, Matthew felt the need to stop Gilbert from extravagance. 

“I’m serious,” said Matthew, eyes drawn to a pretty fountain in the middle of the mall, “I don’t need much.”

“Birthdays aren’t about what you need but what you want,” said Gilbert and fished out some coins and giving half to Matthew to toss into the glittering waters, “This will make me feel good too you know.”

He heard the satisfying plunk of the nickel, Matthew said, “I guess.”

“Great! Then let’s go and get that iPod I saw you ogling,” the alpha announced, “Then we’ll go from there.”

#

Gilbert should, Matthew decided, go into a high pressure sales job. Matthew had intended to let Gilbert spend, at most, fifty dollars on him. He’d tried to steer them away from the music player that Matthew, admittedly, wanted. Matthew had suggested several times that Walmart would be the best place to shop. His attempts had been in vain.

Matthew left the mall with an iPod; a big fluffy sweater with a white polar bear decal stitched to the front; a gift card with a hundred dollars for music; a brand new pair of sneakers; a book of poetry by Leonard Cohen; a box of maple filled chocolates; a nice notebook and some pens to write with; and a bunch of new clothes.

After a late lunch during which Matthew thanked Gilbert profusely, they drove to a small house. Matthew was asked to wait in the car as it sat parked against the side walk. Gilbert came out with a full looking cooler bag and waved back at the house’s occupants. The beautiful brunet omega Roderich and a long brown haired woman with a flower in her hair. Probably an alpha with how she carried herself, her back straight and a possessive arm around her mate, but Matthew wasn’t close enough to smell so he couldn’t be sure. She waved at Matthew and he timidly did the same back.

After Gilbert put the cooler in the trunk they were off. He got his friends to cook a picnic for him to avoid another incident similar to that morning. He couldn’t help but be happy that Gilbert had some good friends in his life that weren’t like Matthew’s own Papa.

They drove until they were outside of town, near the mouth of a trail that led into a thick forest. Gilbert already had backpacks ready in the trunk that had been hidden by a blanket. Matthew had, admitted, wondered what the lumps had been.

“I discovered this trail on one of the drives I used to take just to clear my mind,” said Gilbert about fifteen minutes in as they walked down a dirt hill that was dotted with smooth rocks, “It’s really great out here. We’ll get to a crystal clear lake in a while. A bit cold but great for swimming.”

“I used to love looking at nature magazines and viewing forests on the internet. Papa hated walking through nature and only took me hiking once,” said Matthew and stared, enthralled, around himself, and heard the sweet chatters of birdsong around him, “He told me that it got him too dirty.”

“Too much dirt under his perfectly manicured nails,” muttered Gilbert.

“He told me that we’d be attacked by wild vermin and he kept shrieking at the rustling in bushes,” said Matthew.

“So in other words he was scared of squirrels and bunnies,” said Gilbert, “Oh shit that’s too funny. Too bad I didn’t discover that when we were in school. Toni and I would never have let him live that down.”

Matthew laughed, “To be fair to Papa, he isn’t afraid of fish. The one time we went out, he did catch a fish with his bare hands. Though it might have been more of an accident than anything but still.”

Gilbert flexed his muscles, “I could do the same thing. Except I’d catch ten fish and it would be on purpose. They’d also all be super tasty. I’d be able to feed an entire group of people. I’d learn to gut and scale them too.”

“You’d really take great care of your family huh?” said Matthew and winced when he realized that he may have hit a sore point, “When you happen to get one that is. Not that you haven’t been looking. Not that you-”

Matthew put a hand on his own forehead and grumbled, “Oh jeez, why can’t I ever just shut up.”

Not in the slightest bit perturbed, almost cheerful in fact, Gilbert said, “I’d take amazing care of my family. You can trust me on that.”

After he said that, Gilbert frequently looked over at Matthew but the omega honestly didn’t mind. The two kept up conversation and watched nature until eventually, Matthew saw the clear and sun glittery surface of the lake. Astoundingly there wasn’t a soul around.

“Wow. That really is beautiful,” said Matthew and set down his backpack, which had been considerable lighter than Gilbert’s and sat on a rock to look out.

Only a gentle breeze broke the warm day, sent ripples over the surface and lapped at the rocky beach ahead. Behind him, he heard Gilbert desperately search through the packs and then curse.

“I brought towels but forgot swim trunks,” said Gilbert and plopped down to sit from his crouching position.

Matthew shrugged, “We can just go in our briefs.”

A suggestion that Matthew found confusing coming from himself. He hadn’t thought before he spoke, but afterwards found that he didn’t mind the idea at all. He knew that Gilbert would never hurt him and didn’t mind the vulnerability that he felt when being mostly naked.

Gilbert stared at the dirt with a stoic face. Matthew was just about to tell the alpha to forget it, they don’t need to swim, when Gilbert nodded and stood up. Quickly the older man flung his clothes off, the faintest tinge of pink on his cheeks. Matthew shook his head when he realized that he’d been staring and removed his own clothing, folded it into a neat pile by their bags. He shouldn’t have stared at another alpha when he was only hours away from being able to smell his own soul mate. 

Then again, all Matthew had done by staring at Gilbert’s perfectly toned body was appreciate a fine alpha form.

He didn’t pay attention to the splashes he until went to go in the water and saw Gilbert almost submerged, only his head poked out of the lake, he faced away from the shore. Matthew could have sworn that Gilbert’s shoulder were red but they hadn’t been exposed to the sun long enough to burn.

Matthew put one toe in the water and yelped, “How did you get into the water so fast? It’s freezing.”

“Just run!” shouted Gilbert without having turned.

“Easy for you to say. You must be insane. I’ll freeze my nipples off in that!” cried Matthew again and tried to put his entire foot in.

At that Gilbert decided to turn around, though Matthew had no idea why he had looked away to begin with. There was a smirk on the alpha’s face and narrowed eyes. 

“Mattie, why don’t you get into the water,” said Gilbert and slunk forth with a predatory grace, added, “You aren’t a wuss are you?”

“I’m not!”

“Then get in,” said Gilbert, closer still. 

Up to his calves, Matthew shivered, “I think this is where I’ll stay.”

“Think again,” said Gilbert and popped out of the water suddenly, ran and grabbed Matthew around the waist before he dragged him further. 

Matthew gasped as the cold water touched more and more of his body at once until only his chin touched the surface, “Jerk.”

Then, Matthew moved his hands around, wiggled them, and then he said, “Actually the water’s pretty nice!”

“Uh huh,” said Gilbert with a smug smirk still curved his lips.

Matthew splashed Gilbert right in the face and swam for his life, giggled.

“Oh you’re going to regret that.”

But he didn’t regret a thing.

#

They’d swam for hours. Played until they were too tired to move and then they floated under the sun, Gilbert surprisingly inept at staying up. Matthew stayed atop the water like a feather. 

“Your bones are hollow,” Gilbert had told him, “Like a bird.”

Matthew huffed but kept his eyes closed, felt but not seeing as Gilbert hovered beside him.

“I should call you birdie,” said Gilbert thoughtfully before he’d headed back to shore. 

Matthew had followed not too long after and they’d eaten. Gilbert’s friend had packed some Chicken Paprikash, dumplings, biscuits, raw veggies, cut up fruit, and beautiful huge slices of chocolate cake.

Once full, they’d walked back the way they came until they came to a path they hadn’t gone down but had passed. They went down it a little ways until they got to a clearing in the woods filled with soft moss and grasses. By then it had gotten dark so Gilbert laid down a blanket that he’d put in Matthew’s backpack. They laid down side by side on the blanket, Matthew had brought his new sweater and wore it in the chilled evening.

The stars twinkled gaily in the dark expanse of space, as if they vied for room to shine. Across the sky the pale soft blue wisps of the milky way hung above them as if it had been painted on by a brush. Matthew hadn’t often taken the time to really look up and look at the stars. It was breathtaking.

“This is a perfect way to end my birthday Gilbert, Thank you!” said Matthew, hands rested on his stomach.

Gilbert lay back with his arms under his head and made a soft, “Hmm. It’s no problem.”

They enjoyed the silence aside from the chirps of crickets and the occasional far off crunch and shuffle of a small animal. Matthew realized that the time of his birth, 9:30 had come and went. Once he smelled it he knew.

The rich and spicy scent of alpha filled his senses and made him feel light headed. Matthew took a small breath and tried to bring in as much of the fragrance that called out to only him. He wanted to bathe in it, to be covered in it for all to know that he was a claimed omega. 

Matthew was one of the lucky few who found their soul mates as soon as they came of age. 

He sat up abruptly and looked around, he tried to seek out his mate. Who was it, where were they?

Except that the only one around was Gilbert, still laid out on his back, eyes to the sky in a way that almost seemed like he tried to avoid Matthew’s gaze. 

Without warning, Matthew burst into tears. Everything slammed into him with sudden clarity. It all made so much sense. Gilbert must have known that Matthew was his soul mate. The alpha had been at his orientation ceremony. Francis must have figured out that Gilbert was his soul mate. It must has made his Papa paranoid.

That was the only explanation that Matthew had for everything that had happened. It explained why his Papa had insisted that he was not allowed to meet his soul mate. It helped to explain everything that had happened to Gilbert.

Hot tears ran down Matthew’s face and he realised that Gilbert had been without a mate for seventeen years because of him. Matthew didn’t care that it wasn’t his fault for being Gilbert’s soul mate. He still felt so bad. How lonely Gilbert must have been all of this time.

How must Gilbert have felt when he’d been the one to first find Matthew’s body after he’d been attacked all those years ago?

Yet despite all of his sadness for Gilbert, he was also jittery and felt like jumping for joy.

So overwhelmed with intense feelings, Matthew put his head in his hands and sobs.

#

With his head facing the sky, Gilbert still managed to be able to look at Matthew from the corner of his eyes. He’d seen the emotions flit over Matthew’s face but they all went by so fast that he had a hard time keeping up. The alpha’s muscles tensed and the hands that rested behind his head clenched in his hair to avoid shaking. 

What was Matthew thinking?

“What?” said Gilbert, the laugh that forced out of him sounded so very fake to his ears, “Disappointed that your soul mate is such an old guy?”

Of course he tried to play off as if he jested. Gilbert was worried about that very thing.

Without warning, a Matthew that still cried with big sobs filled with gulping air, flung himself at Gilbert. He felt Matthew half on him and half off, the omega’s face pressed to the crook of Gilbert’s neck. Matthew’s tears poured out and he made shaky snuffles as he took in his alpha’s smell. His body, not much smaller than his own, was so warm and Gilbert couldn’t help but wrap his arms around Matthew. He ran a hand through Matthew’s soft hair and Gilbert tried to think of what to say. 

At a loss, he just allowed the omega to cry himself dry of tears while being held close to his alpha. In spite of Matthew’s tears, Gilbert wanted to enjoy the moment of closeness. 

Did Matthew cry because he didn’t want Gilbert as a mate? Shit.

Eventually, Matthew sat up and Gilbert follow suit. The omega fished a napkin out of the cooler bag and wiped his face clean of tears, balled up the serviette when he was done, and just held it.

“Gilbert, I’m so sorry,” said Matthew and his voice cracked.

Yeah, shit. Gilbert knew the bomb was about to be dropped. 

Matthew continued, “I can’t apologize enough for what happened to you when I was ten.”

Gilbert had averted his gaze but immediately returned to stare at the omega, “What?”

“I mean, clearly my father had known about what I was to you, yes?” asked Matthew.

“Yeah, he saw me leave your orientation ceremony after having scented you. He’s pretty sharp and it clicked right away what had happened,” said Gilbert.

“I don’t see why, in that case, that he’d ever think you’d hurt me,” said Matthew, and tossed the napkin ball in front of him but grabbed it back right away with a softly spoken, “Sorry.”

Gilbert shuffled closer to Matthew until their sides touched, “It’s fine Matthew. I’m not, never have been, upset at you.”

Matthew rested his head on Gilbert’s shoulder and said, “I’m still sorry that you were essentially run out of town. Your own home.”

“It worked out in the end, right?”

“What do you mean?” asked Matthew and tried to press his body even closer though it hardly seemed possible.

“You don’t care that I’m, well, in my thirties. I’m old compared to you.”

Matthew lifted his head and pressed a sweet and shy kiss to Gilbert’s cheek, “Of course I don’t mind. Part of me has cared about you since I was a child. When you left, I never forgot your face. Once you took me in, my feelings only grew stronger. I’ve always been attached to you. Now I understand more about why.”

Gilbert tried to think of something to say that didn’t make him sound un-awesome when Matthew gave a huge and wide yawn.

“Maybe we should head back huh?” suggested Gilbert.

Matthew nodded, “Yes. We can always talk more later if we need to. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m holding you to that you know.”

Later that night, when they’d arrived back home, Gilbert stood just inside his bedroom and scratched the back of his head. Matthew shyly walked up to him with his pillow in hand and said, “I don’t know that I want to sleep alone, with you so near by.”

“Ah- Okay!” said Gilbert and stripped out of his clothes only to grab out track pants for himself to sleep in though the idea made him cringe. 

Matthew laughed, “It’s July Gilbert. I’ve seen you leave your room at night in boxers all the time. I know that’s how you sleep.”

“You don’t care?” asked Gilbert and already hastily shoved back the dread pants. He decided not to mention to Matthew that before the omega arrived in his home, Gilbert had slept in the nude. 

Matthew shook his head, “Of course not.”

After he put his pillow on one side of the bed, Matthew went to the closet where he’d kept his clothes so far and grabbed out a pair of shorts and a tank top.

Gilbert couldn’t help but pout when Matthew changed in the bathroom. 

That didn’t last long, because for the first time in his entire life, he fell asleep next to his soul mate.

And he was sure that when he woke up the next morning, it was with the hugest grin of his life.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After Matthew’s seventeenth birthday, he realized something: He and Gilbert had basically acted like a couple already. 

They spent time eating meals that Matthew would make. Together they would tackle the shopping. Matthew would clean the house while Gilbert was at work. It was a more traditional omega/alpha couple dynamic to be sure, but one Matthew enjoyed. They had already practically dated each other with going out to restaurants and having stayed at home movie dates. 

The only thing that had changed since Matthew’s coming of age was the fact that Matthew slept in the bedroom, and Gilbert’s soft kisses. 

To the cheek or the forehead. 

That was it. 

While Matthew was shy in general, he was well aware of that fact, he also had a strong view of what he wanted from his life. He’d grown to pay attention to his body in order to be aware of stress as part of his therapy. This helped calm him down in the wake of memories but it also made him quite aware of his desires.

Gilbert was a very attractive alpha. He’d known that before. 

Now though?

Matthew got to see Gilbert almost naked nearly every night. It was as if his coming of age made his hormones go into overdrive because Matthew found that he’d blatantly stare at the alpha. His gorgeous lean physique, his defined abs, the trail of silver hair going from his naval and into his briefs. Goodness. Matthew wanted to lick him from his neck to the jut of his hips.

Flushed red, Matthew continued to collect all of the pillows and blankets in the house. He had decided that morning to pile them into a heap in the bedroom. He had the sudden urge to do so and didn’t really think too much of it. 

No, he was still too busy thinking about how Gilbert, sweet alpha that he was, had still not even kissed Matthew on more than the cheeks or the forehead. Matthew was dying for more. He ached deep down for ever just a brush of lips against lips. Mmm, or maybe lips against parts that were a little lower. 

Matthew placed down the latest load of pillows and went and got a cold glass of water. He felt so hot and had become hard. With his forehead rested against the cool metal of the fridge door, he let out a frustrated breath of air. 

Maybe he just thought too much about sex. He needed to calm down. 

So he sat in front of the television and tried to watch a show. Five minutes in, he fidgeted. Every one of his thoughts that weren’t on Gilbert were of going back into the bedroom and working on his nest-

Nest?

Oh no. Not having another omega around him in this time to help remind him, Matthew had let it slip his mind that an omega’s first heat happened a month after they met their mate. Usually an omega family member or friend would be around to help remind an omega who’d newly found their mate of what was to come. That was what Matthew remembered from his health class. Admittedly, he’d read books or doodled through any lessons he found boring, health class had been one of those. 

Just as he was about to call Gilbert- Where in the world had he put his phone - a wave of heat rushed over him. His eyes unfocused and slick just began to drip from his entrance. Matthew gasped and went for his nest. That was, after all, where his alpha would look for him first.

That was all he could think of in the haze of his heat.

#

Gilbert sung to himself as he drove his car into the parking lot of his building. He was happier than he’d ever been in so many years. Even more joyful than when Matthew had lived with him before his seventeenth birthday because now Gilbert knew that he was accepted. Matthew didn’t reject him. Life was great.

He’d decided to take things slow so as not to frighten or startle Matthew. Though in the last few days he’d found that Matthew had been more and more attractive, which Gilbert hadn’t even thought was possible.

As he walked down the hallway to the apartment, Gilbert decided that he’d kiss Matthew on the lips before they went to bed.

His every thought, naturally, flew out the window when he opened the door and caught the first heady whiffs of what he could only describe as concentrated Matthew. It hung in the air and he heard in the distance, the faint sound of panting.

Out in the build hallway, a neighbour alpha passed by and raised a brow. Gilbert found a snarl at his lips and he slammed the door shut with a bang, locked it with both locks. He also wanted to slide some furniture against the door but figured it was probably overkill. The door was strong enough.

Hands trembled, Gilbert thought of what to do first. When he’d been seventeen and enthusiastic for his mate, he’d thought all about how awesome he’d be to his omega during their heat. He knew all of the great things he’d do.

Now, so many years later, Gilbert’s mind was blank. What did he need to do? 

Panicked, Gilbert filled up a glass of water and grabbed some random bits of food from the kitchen (an apple, a granola bar, and a cookie). Evening his breath, Gilbert went to the bedroom and went inside to the most erotic sight he had ever seen.

On his hands and knees, in a crudely built nest of pillows and blankets, was Matthew. Every strip of clothing was gone and revealed each inch of smooth pale skin. The omega’s backside was raised, showing the pink hole that glistened with the slick that dripped from it and down Matthew’s long legs. Between his legs hung Matthew’s thick and hard erection, which the omega had palmed. The air was filled with the scent of heat, far more concentrated than in the rest of the apartment. So thick that it made Gilbert’s head feel light. 

With a gasp, Matthew looked over to Gilbert, eyes glazed and pouted lips parted just enough to whimper, “Giiiilbert.”

“Yeah?” asked Gilbert and nearly smacked himself after for the stupidity. Clearly he knew what Matthew wanted. 

Yet he was rooted to his spot by the door and stared. 

“I need you,” said Matthew who moved his hand from his cock to his entrance and rubbing a single finger around it, almost pushed in but not quite. 

Every instinct in Gilbert’s body begged him to fall to his knees behind the omega and plunge his cock into that warm hole, to fill Matthew with his knot, and to fuck until they both collapsed from exhaustion.

However he also thought back to his mate as a ten-year old, innocence stolen, broken and bleeding on the pavement. Gilbert never got that image out of his head and he didn’t want to somehow hurt Matthew.

Gilbert would rather kill himself than do a thing to harm his omega. 

Instead of the urge to run forward to take what his body wanted to claim as his, he followed his mind and heart and knelt beside Matthew. He placed the food just outside of the nest and asked, “Would you like a drink of water?”

“No, I just need you,” purred Matthew and nuzzled his head against Gilbert’s knees, the perfect image of omega submission.

He ignored that, Gilbert said, “Are you hungry then?”

Meek eyes looked up and Matthew said, “Not for food.”

Gilbert took a shuddered breath in and reached out, a hopeful look sprung up on Matthew’s face, before the alpha remembered the blood on the omega’s backside. Coming from-

Gilbert shuddered again for a different reason. No, he’d remain steadfast. He couldn’t harm his omega. 

“All right. I’ll read my book then and you let me know the second you need something?”

The nest was right next to Gilbert’s bedside stand, so all he had to do was reach up and grab the book he read at night. He leaned against the wall and sat on a soft pillow, legs stretched out so that Matthew could more easily curl up against him. Gilbert didn’t look at Matthew’s face because he had no idea what he could expect to see. 

Not be be deterred, Matthew began to feverishly rub his face all of Gilbert’s upper legs and hips. Gilbert ran his hand over the omega’s silky curls, carded his fingers through them. When Gilbert heard a whimper, he tried to convince himself that what he was doing was for the best. 

After he’d read the same paragraph in his book four times, he tried to tell himself that he was bored of his book. His disinterest had nothing to do with the throbbing erection in his pants that had an omega pawing all over it’s clothed surface. He put his book down and just closed his eyes.

“Please,” said Matthew, desperate, with a hint of a whine at the end.

Gilbert refused to look and said, “We can’t.”

He didn’t want to specify. Gilbert remembered the nightmare he’d held Matthew through. He didn’t want to terrify his omega. 

“Do you-” started Matthew, voice broken and nearly inaudible if not for his closeness to the alpha, “Do you not want me?”

Eyes popped open, Gilbert gaped down at Matthew, “Of course I do.”

“Then why won’t you take me even though this,” Matthew gently gripped Gilbert’s cock through his pants and elicited a hiss, “is rock hard.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” rasped Gilbert.

“Why would you hurt me?”

Gilbert held a hand against Matthew’s cheek, and said, “You’ve been hurt enough as it is. I don’t want to bring back bad memories.”

“You won’t and I know that you’ll stop if I ask,” said Matthew, panted and gripped onto Gilbert’s shirt as he tried to stay knelt and not falling back to having his ass in the air, “So please.”

Gilbert swallowed and asked, “Can we do it face to face, so I can see your eyes and your expression? Or do you need it on your hands and knees?”

With jut of his hips as if he responded to the mere words of sex from Gilbert’s mouth, Matthew said, “Yes, face to face.”

“Shit, I was going to give you our first kiss tonight.”

Matthew laughed shakily, gripped Gilbert’s shoulders at the point, and tried to bring his naked body closer, “You still can.”

He slid a hand under Matthew’s chin and then Gilbert brought their lips together. It was warm and every so slightly wet from Matthew licking his own lips, Gilbert’s free hand gripped the hair on the back of Matthew’s head and brought them both closer and ran the tip of his tongue along the seam of Matthew’s lip. 

He was granted entrance immediately and dove in, Matthew’s own tongue submitted to twine along with Gilbert’s. It was a bit too rough, their teeth clashed one too many times, and a bit too wet from inexperience but the two parted for breath only with great reluctance. 

Gilbert looked at Matthew to make sure that he was still fine, before he pressed a feather-light trail of kisses down the omega’s jaw and down his neck. Slowly the two fell to the centre of the nest, Gilbert on his hands and knees over Matthew. He sucked up a mark on the nape of Matthew’s neck, where his mark would soon be placed. Matthew’s hand gripped Gilbert’s hair hard, the other pressed into his skin and moaned. 

“Still good?” asked Gilbert.

“Y-Yeeeess.”

Gilbert gave a sly smile, “All right.”

Gilbert leaned down to flick one of the omega’s dusty pink nipples with the tip of his tongue and watched Matthew’s hips raise up with a cry of surprise. 

“Oh!”

Gilbert brought the tiny nub into his mouth, sucked, and rubbed the other nipple between his index finger and thumb. He worked until they both hardened, switched sides once, his free hand ran up and down the silken skin of Matthew’s side. 

He moved downwards, and checked in once more on Matthew’s emotions, Gilbert trailed the tip of his tongue downwards. Gilbert dipped into Matthew’s navel and felt the omega’s dick twitch and hit the bottom of Gilbert’s chin, he chuckled.

“Are we excited for this?” asked Gilbert, voice deeper, huskier than before. 

“God yes,” whimpered Matthew.

“Let me help you out before the main event, huh?” said Gilbert and waited a pause before he licked a wet trail up the length of Matthew’s erection.

With one hand steady Matthew’s dick, Gilbert brought the other one to the slick covered entrance. He lapped at the rosy head of Matthew once before Gilbert swallowed down as much of the cock as he could at the same time as he slipped a single finger into Matthew’s ass. 

Being so far from able to think and control himself, the heat crazed omega bucked his hips. It was then that Gilbert discovered two things. One: He didn’t have a gag reflex and Two: He loved to have his mouth fucked. 

When Matthew wasn’t having a heat, they would have to explore this more. 

In the meantime though, Gilbert refocused more on the preparation of his mate so Matthew could be filled. Matthew was so loose already, Gilbert worked up to three fingers nearly right away. The omega’s slippery slick dripped down Gilbert’s hand and to his wrist. The heat around his fingers was scorching and Gilbert couldn’t imagine how wonderful with it feel wrapped around his prick. 

All the warning he got of Matthew’s orgasm was a cry and a slight throb of the dick in his mouth before Gilbert swallowed the salty and bitter cream. Matthew’s back was arched and his mouth was open in a silent ‘o’.

His fingers slipped free, Gilbert wiped them off on a tissue and moved over a slack Matthew who stared up at Gilbert with a tilted head. The omega’s cock was still rock hard and dripped one last missed drop of cum. Gilbert brought his clean hand down and swiped it up, placing the finger against Matthew lips. The omega sucked his finger down greedily and blinked up at Gilbert and swirled his tongue around the digits. 

Gilbert groaned and removed the fingers. 

“You’re going to make me shoot just by blowing my fingers,” said Gilbert, then pressed a hot and lingering kiss to Matthew’s lips. 

They parted with a gasp and Gilbert put his hands under Matthew’s knees, brought them up, and coaxed them around his lower back, “Are you sure you are ready?”

“Yes, yes, God, yes. Fuck me!”

And so Gilbert pressed in, slow, so slow. He wanted to slam right in but he refused. There was no way that he’d treat his beloved mate as anything other than the angel he was. The heat was intense around his dick and Matthew cried out when Gilbert was seated in all the way. The legs around Gilbert’s back tightened and Matthew’s fingers dug deeper into the skin of his shoulders. 

Gilbert didn’t even move, just felt the warmth of being inside of his mate, finally, finally! Being so close to his omega, Gilbert’s face buried into Matthew’s neck and breathed in deep. He took in every bit of scent and so gently stroked every inch of skin he could reach.

Once Gilbert’s cock throbbed as if to remind the alpha of it’s presence, he began to move, loving and tender. He covered Matthew’s neck with soft nips and licks, relished the moans the omega made. Wet squelching noises, the slip of their skin together. Gilbert drew Matthew back into a deep kiss as he felt himself get closer. 

It was so fast, Gilbert didn’t want it to be over, but he’d had only his hand for company for so long that he didn’t have the practice in longevity So he felt himself approach the brink soon.

He pulled back from Matthew, savoured the red flush on the omega’s face, the swollen pink lips shiny from their kiss, Gilbert began to pick up his pace.

“Gonna mark you,” said Gilbert, voice deep, “Make you mine.”

“Do it,” cried Matthew, tilted his head, and exposed the nap of his neck.

As his knot began to inflate, Gilbert pushed himself in fully, allowed himself to fill Matthew completely, and it was then that he bit down, hard enough to break the skin. Matthew screamed and tightened his legs so hard around Gilbert that it hurt. A liquid warmth spread between them. Gilbert was still cumming, pumping everything he had into his mate. 

Parted from the wound on Matthew’s neck carefully, Gilbert rose onto his elbows and stared down at the still trembling Matthew, who wrapped his entire body around Gilbert.

Still a little breathless, Gilbert asked, “Was it good?”

A mute nod against his chest and a whispered, “Amazing.”

“Myself? I’d describe it as awesome but to each their own,” said Gilbert, knot still inside of Matthew but no longer orgasmed. 

“Oh Gil,” said Matthew, unlatched from Gilbert languidly, and moved boneless to the nest to lay, “It was, I can’t even-”

A tear rolled down Matthew’s cheek but there was a blissful smile on his face, so Gilbert knew it wasn’t a bad thing, “I know. Just rest.”

His knot slipped free by then and he got up to grab a warm bowl of water and a cloth. Gilbert came back and wiped the omega clean, as well as discarding the used tissues. He got a fresh glass of water and then lay back down beside Matthew to rest until the next round.

#

The heat lasted only a week, which was about normal. They’d made love so many times that Matthew had honestly lost count. His health class in school hadn’t quite gone over the sheer amount of times that a mated couple would have sex. They’d both been sore by the end of the heat and had spent a good day lounging around and taking turns in the bathtub and giving each other back rubs. 

Another thing nobody mentioned was how gross the blankets were after. That even included flipping the bottom of the nest once to a clean side. Ew! Matthew had to wash them all twice to get the scent of hormones and slick out of them. 

Oh it had all been worth it though.

Matthew was indescribably happy. He was an omega, mated to the sweetest and most loving alpha ever in existence. Gilbert was so kind and yet goofy. Gone was the almost despondent man that he’d met when they first came into contact again months ago. The alpha was a new man and it showed in his exuberance for life. 

Things went back to normal more or less after the heat. Since they’d already been pretty much acting as a couple, nothing needed to change. Gilbert kissed Matthew a whole lot more, as well as some extra loving in the bedroom. 

They’d even gone out to dinner with Gilbert’s friends Elizabeta and Roderich a few times. Last night, in fact, had been their last outing. They’d gone out for sushi and Matthew was fairly certain that he’d eaten bad fish. 

He’d been fine last night, though maybe a bit tired, which he’d been for the past week in fact. However as soon as he sat up that morning, he’d run for the toilet. On and off, he’d thrown up during the day. Goodness and he was so exhausted. All he wanted to do was sleep. 

Matthew had been napping when Gilbert had taken off for work, barely feeling the kiss to his forehead and the bid for him to take care. Gilbert had offered to take the day off of work, but Matthew knew that he just needed to sleep off the illness. No point in lost money for that.

Gilbert had disagreed but didn’t argue the point too much.

On his way back from a trip to the bathroom, Matthew stared longingly at the blankets on the bed, messed and calling his name when he heard a loud knock on the door. With a groan Matthew seriously considered ignoring whoever was on the other side of the door and just going back to bed. The couple didn’t have many friends other than Eliza and Roderich so the person behind the door was probably selling something. 

But…But what if something had happened to Gilbert and the police didn’t have Matthew’s number? Oh God, what if Gilbert was dead and the cops were there to break the news?

Matthew slapped a hand over his mouth and resisted the sudden urge to throw up once more and walked swiftly down the hallway. The entire way he crossed his fingers and hoped and pleaded to the powers above that his alpha was okay.

Without a thought, Matthew threw open the door and gasped at what he saw. 

Before him was his Papa. Francis’ normally immaculate blond hair appeared dry and tangled. Deep dark bags were under his tired blue eyes and the man had clearly lost weight. Guilt immediately stabbed at Matthew and he felt like a horrible person for neglecting his family. 

Behind Francis was a rather irritated looking Arthur who simple coughed. 

Francis gaped before he flung himself at Matthew and wrapped his arms around him, “My little boy. Oh my sweet little child. I’ve finally found you.”

“Hi Papa,” said Matthew, sheepishly hugged his parent in return, “I, uh, do you want to come inside?”

Francis shook his head and pulled back, “No, I’m here to save you and bring you back home.”

“What?” said Matthew, brows pinched together and he backed up a step.

Arthur spoke up, “We found out that you were here and with Gilbert, my boy. We’ve come to take you home.”

Francis reached out swiftly and grabbed Matthew’s wrist. 

“Wait, no!” said Matthew and pulled back.

Or at least he tried to pull back, Francis tightened his grip and tugged, “Matthew, it is not safe for you here. We’ll take you somewhere so that Gilbert won’t ever find you and attack you again.”

With teeth gritted, he fought against the wave of nausea that rose from being jostled around. He had to close his eyes to do so.

Matthew said, “He. Never. Attacked. Me. Why won’t anybody believe me? He’s-”

Matthew didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence because he felt a prick in his neck as Francis dove forward with a needle in hand. His mind grew hazy and he felt a panic in the back of his mind. Where were they going to take him? Why were they doing this?

Vaguely he heard Arthur’s gasp in the background and his demands of Francis to know what the hell he was doing.

“Sorry my sweetling,” cooed Francis and allowed Arthur to shift Matthew’s sagging body into his arms, “You need to be home where you won’t be in danger any longer.”

And at those final words, Matthew blacked out. 

#

Matthew first came back to conciousness on a fluffy bed. His arms were tied over his head and his legs were also tied to the end of the bed. He didn’t open his eyes but his heart pounded a mile a minute. Where was he? They felt like they were moving. Maybe they were in an RV? He listened in to a conversation being held around him.

“I can’t even believe this,” said a voice, Alfred, “How could you not smell it?”

“I don’t know. I was just happy to see Matthew once more,” said Papa, “Are you even sure?”

Matthew heard somebody pace the floor with loud stomps, probably Alfred.

“Have your senses dulled with age old man?” grumbled Alfred, “Yes I’m sure!”

Arthur cleared this throat and spoke up, “Well perhaps we should take him to a doctor to see if the tranquillizer did any long lasting harm? I still can’t believe that you did that.”

Francis scoffed, “I doubt Matthew would want to keep the baby of a rape.”

What baby? Matthew suddenly wanted to put his hands over his abdomen. Was he-?

“Francis, you know, the lad still seemed adamant that Gilbert did not and never has harmed him,” said Arthur, adding, “Perhaps he was right.”

“Oh please. Gilbert knew Matthew was his mate from the second he turned ten, of course he was the one to attack Matthew.”

Gasps sounded around the room and then silence. 

The first to break the silence Arthur, “You have taken a pregnant omega from his mate?”

Alfred yelled, “Gilbert was Matt’s mate all this time and you thought he would hurt him. Get real! Only the most depraved alphas would do something even remotely like that to their omegas. Gilbert may have been weird but to do something to his mate?”

Francis said, “Before you knew of that you were willing to help me because you thought, and rightly so, that Gilbert was a rapist.”

Alfred was silent at that.

“Why didn’t you tell me,” said Arthur and sounded hurt, “We aren’t mates, sure. But I thought you still trusted me.”

Matthew cracked his eyes open and whispered, “I’m pregnant?”

With quick movements, Francis went over to Matthew and sat on the edge of the bed. Matthew flinched away from him as he remembered the needle. Francis frowned but began to gently pet Matthew’s hair anyway.

“Alfred says that he can smell it all over you. I think perhaps I would need to smell the nape of your neck to tell,” said Francis and stared at Matthew, “It does not matter. We can do what you’d like.”

“What do you mean?” asked Matthew and didn’t like the look on his father’s face.

Had Francis always looked so odd? Almost as if he was a hair’s breadth away from being unhinged?

“I mean that if you don’t wish to have the reminder of your rape, we can find an abortion clinic,” said Francis, “But I can help you care for the baby if you really want to. Though I think you should consider getting rid of it.”

Then Francis reached to feel Matthew’s stomach. He squirmed away from Francis as far as he could get and snarled.

“I will only say this once more, Gilbert has never. Ever. Hurt me,” yelled Matthew, “He’s my mate and I love him.”

“But he kidnapped you,” said Francis, who frowned and retracted his hand, lower lip wobbled.

“He didn’t do anything like that. I ran away because you were keeping me prisoner in my own house like a criminal. You told me that I’d never be allowed to find my soul mate. You kept me away from all means of outside communication. I couldn’t keep being treated like that!”

Arthur and Alfred looked away at that point. Neither of them had ever tried to help, despite the fact that they knew how Francis had acted.

“But I’ve never hurt you my little sweet pea,” said Francis and whimpered at that point, “All I want to do is keep you safe.”

“I was safe. With Gilbert.”

His arms thrown up into the air, Alfred stalked over, “Okay I’ve had enough of this. There’s no way that I’m gonna let a pregnant omega be tied to a bed any longer, let alone my little bro.”

As Alfred reached for one of the knots, there was a metallic click from the side Francis stood on. Alfred paled and backed away and Matthew looked over with hesitant eyes.

His father was holding a gun up, shaky and finger on the trigger but didn’t pull, “Back up. Nobody is taking Matthew away from me. I won’t lose him like I lost his mother.”

Tears streaked down Francis’ face as it contorted with rage, teeth bared. 

Arthur held out his hand, “Francis you idiot. Stop this right now. Just put away the gun, where the hell did you get that anyway?”

Matthew could hear the tremble in Arthur’s voice, the nerves. 

Francis shook his head violently, hair fell out from the tie that held it loosely. The alpha snarled and said, “Just get out. KIKU stop the RV!”

That last part was shouted out to the person that Matthew assumed had control of the vehicle. Alfred gave one last look at Matthew and left the room and then went up front. That of course made sense because Kiku was his omega. He’d want to assure his mate’s safety.

Matthew tried to catch Arthur’s eye. The older omega slowly made his way over to him, hands held up, “Francis, perhaps we should bring him back to Gilbert and actually discuss this. I understand how upsetting it would have been to discover that Matthew had a much older man as a mate. I’d have also been concerned if it had been Alfred. Even I, had also assumed Gilbert to be guilty. However I think now we should look further into this situation.”

“No, Gilbert is going to hurt Matthew. He’s going to take him from me. I can’t let him. I won’t let him. Matthew is my little boy,” said Francis, his words flew together so fast that they were hardly understandable.

“Well you can’t leave him tied up,” said Arthur and untied a knot on one of Matthew’s wrists.

Then there was a shot and a sharp intake of breath. Francis stood with eyes wide, the faintest wisp of smoke trailed from his gun. On the side of Arthur’s shirt there was a rip and a bloody red mark of the graze of a bullet. 

“You shot me,” said Arthur in shock before he moved his hand to hold his side. 

Francis dropped his arm, still held tight to his weapon, and ran over to Arthur, who backed away with eyes widened, “My dear, I am so sorry, I-”

“No, stay away from me,” yelled Arthur.

At that point, Alfred ran back into the room, a knife in his hand, “Get the fuck away from my father you psycho.”

Heart beat rapidly, Matthew had taken advantage of the distraction of his Papa. He used the wrist that had been freed by Arthur to untie his other hand, and then his feet. Matthew quietly crept to the open door, only to hear his parent notice his movement.

“No, Matthew don’t go. It’s too dangerous out there,” shouted Francis.

Matthew ran as fast as his legs could carry him through the RV, nearly slipped on a carpet in the tiled kitchen area. As he slammed open the door, Matthew stumbled outside and into a circle of light from a street lamp. They had stopped by some restaurants, people gathered just inside of the windows and spoke on cell phones as they stared. Maybe they heard the gunshot?

Matthew didn’t stop to listen. For once he felt terrified of his father. He wanted to get somewhere safe, to a place where there wasn’t somebody trying to kill his unborn child. 

He wanted his alpha. 

“Matthew! Wait. Everybody out here is dangerous. They want to hurt you. Come back!” yelled his Papa.

Matthew could have sworn he’d heard his name from somebody else, a female voice that almost sounded like Elizabeta. But he didn’t want to stick close to find out.

The gun shot again whether on purpose or by accident, Matthew didn’t stop long enough to find out. He picked up the pace, swallowed his vomit that tried to rise. Just as he was at a steep set of stairs headed down into a park, he heard a gunshot and then felt a sharp and white hot pain spread through his leg. With his pace from when he ran and the searing pain in his leg, Matthew was halted suddenly, unable to find balance at the top of the steps and fell.

Down, down, and cracked his head along the way before he fell unconscious for the second time that day.

#

Gilbert whistled as he broke into a jog out of the elevator. He’d been looked for the best opportunity to break the news to Matthew that they’d be having a baby.

He’d smelled the change about a week previous and had nearly blurted out the news right away. Instead he waited a few more days, just to be sure he hadn’t imagined things. 

The smell stayed the same. Just the faintest hint of something extra being there. A little bit of both him and Matthew in one tiny bundle of cells. When Matthew fell asleep on the first night that Gilbert had been sure of what he knew, the alpha just fingered the flat belly with a dopey grin on his face. 

He knew that Matthew was very young to have a baby in this day and age of birth control pills and condoms and this may have been something that would be a shock. Gilbert would support his mate with any decision that he wanted to make. However Gilbert had the impression that Matthew would want to keep the baby though the alpha didn’t have many facts to back that up. Just a gut feeling.

He wanted to tell Matthew at just the right time and do something to celebrate. Gilbert had considered ordering a cake to be made with cute frosted pictures on top.

Except Matthew had been tired and sleeping a lot. When he wasn’t doing that, the omega was throwing up.

So he printed a paper with a cute graphics of baby birds that said, “You’re having…-” and taped it to a can ginger ale. He also got out a sleeve of soda crackers and wrote the words, “-A baby!” in permanent marker.

Not the most traditional romantic move, but Gilbert thought it was pretty sweet if he said so himself. 

When he got to the apartment, he noticed that it was open a crack. Unusual, Matthew was always very cautious about keeping the door locked, let alone hanging open. It made Gilbert’s chest throb.

Gilbert furrowed his brows and went inside, “Matt? I’m home.”

There was no answer but that didn’t mean much since Matthew could have been asleep. So Gilbert brought the ginger ale and crackers and went to the bedroom, only to find it empty. He checked the bathroom.

Empty. 

He ran through the whole apartment.

Nobody.

With his breath being forced out rapidly, Gilbert called Matthew’s phone as he hoped and prayed that his omega would pick up.

An answering ring sounded from under the bed in the bedroom. The phone must have fallen at some point while Matthew slept. 

That mean that Matthew was out without his phone somewhere or..-

No, Gilbert was being paranoid. He pocketed his own phone and ran outside, making sure that the door was locked behind him.

He went around the area near their apartment to the stores where Matthew tended to frequent.

Nothing.

Gilbert leaned against the brick wall of his apartment building just as his phone rang.

Having never answered a call faster, Gilbert said, “Matt?”

But Matthew didn’t answer, instead the ruffled sounding voice of Roderich responded, “No. It’s me. Eliza and I are on our way to pick you up right now, are you home?”

Gilbert asked, “Just outside, Why? I need to find Matthew, he’s not here.”

”We know where he is,” said Roderich, taking a deep breath before he continued, “He is in Grand University General Hospital right now. He’s been hurt and Eliza said you won’t be in any shape to drive to the hospital knowing that.”

Gilbert dropped his phone from his hand and stared at the ground in shock. He had no idea what to do or say. He had no idea what to think. 

It was Eliza that broke his stupor with a hand on Gilbert’s arm an unknown amount of time later, “We need to go now.”

Roderich had picked up the phone and placed it back in Gilbert’s pocket. 

They led him to the back of the car where Gilbert let himself be seated. 

It wasn’t until they arrived at the hospital doors that Gilbert so much as moved a muscle, and then he ran. He went as fast as possible through the doors. Not even paying attention to the signs that told him to sanitize his hands and went to the first desk he saw.

“Matthew Bonnefoy. He just came in. I’m his alpha,” demanded Gilbert, fist hit the desk.

“Calm down sir,” said the beta receptionist firmly but not without a shine of something - sympathy - in his eyes after he typed into his computer, “The omega you are seeking was just taken to the fourth floor.”

His friends had caught up by that point and they all moved together to the elevators. Gilbert nearly closed the door on a woman in a wheelchair in his haste to shut the doors and get upstairs. 

Gilbert opened his mouth to apologize but said, “Matthew.”

Roderich excused Gilbert’s behaviour himself. 

Just about to run up to the reception, Gilbert stopped cold in his tracks when he heard a very familiar French accent, “Gilbert.”

His body whipped around, red eyes hard and unforgiving, Gilbert couldn’t help but look at his friend in a small room off to the side of the front desk of the fourth floor. Francis had two police officers flanking him and sat, slouched, on a hard chair. He was thinner than when Gilbert had last seen him and hung his head as if defeated. His hands were cuffed behind his back.

“What the hell are you doing here?” snarled Gilbert, the bad feeling in his gut only got worse.

As he stalked forward to enter the room, one cop held out her hand, “I need to ask you to stay out there sir, this man is dangerous.”

Gilbert ignored her and once more spoke to Francis, “If you did anything to Matthew I swear to fucking God.”

The cops exchanged glances and then the officer at the door asked, “Do you know the omega involved?”

“I’m his soul mate, his alpha.”

In a pitiful voice, Francis asked of the cops, “I won’t make a lot of noise or do anything bad. May I speak to Gilbert please.”

The cop beside Francis rolled his neck and then said, “Ugh, fine. I shouldn’t allow this but I will this one time and we are staying right here.”

Gilbert glared at Francis and said, “So tell me what the hell you want.”

It took a few moments of Francis’ gaze aimed down at his own feet before he said, “I don’t know what to think any more. I don’t trust you around Matthew but I know I can’t trust myself around him any more either. I-” 

Francis swallowed so thickly that Gilbert heard the gulp, “I shot him. I hurt my own baby. All I wanted to do was save him and keep him from danger. I guess I’m more dangerous to him.”

It took Elizabeta holding both of his arms behind his back to get Gilbert to stop his movement towards the room, eyes saw red, body washed over with rage, “You WHAT? You mother fucker. If you ever come around him again I swear!”

“I know,” Interrupted Francis, “I don’t trust you. But I no longer trust myself either. Just don’t hurt him, please.”

“I never have and I never will,” said Gilbert and grit his teeth so hard his jaw ached. 

Francis began to rock back and forth in his seat and mumbled under his breath, “I didn’t mean to shoot him. I promise. My baby. My little baby. I’m so sorry.”

His eyes closed, Gilbert stormed away. Francis wasn’t what was important. Matthew was.

#

Gilbert sat beside the hospital bed, head rested on the hard mattress and he lightly gripped the limp hand of his lover. Eyes closed, Gilbert tried to breathe steady and hold back his tears.

Matthew hadn’t woken up in three days. The birthing slit on his lower abdomen had opened ever so slightly and seeped blood. Normally it didn’t open until a male omega was ready to give birth. Matthew had an IV attached which contained a drug to try and get the body to close the birthing slit and prevent a miscarriage. 

So far it hadn’t worked. 

Gilbert felt numb. He felt like throwing up even though he hadn’t eaten in the entire three days of Matthew’s stay. Elizabeta and Roderich had brought him food but Gilbert couldn’t stomach it. It was all he could do to stay hydrated. 

Arthur and Alfred had come by once. As soon as Gilbert had heard they’d helped Francis take him, Gilbert had them thrown out of the hospital and barred from the room. 

Now he was alone, Eliza and Roderich had to run their store but had promised to come by after hours. Honestly, Gilbert was glad. He could hardly think beyond his terror of losing his mate and their baby. 

Behind him the door opened and Gilbert spun around and snarled viciously, not for a moment dropping Matthew’s hand. Part of him knew that he should be expecting a doctor but his alpha brain had him in protect-mode. 

It wasn’t a doctor.

It was his brother, Ludwig, stood tall and held his hands together tight. The blond, all slicked back hair and well tailored clothing looked at the floor with a look on his face that Gilbert couldn’t place. Not that he cared to.

Gilbert didn’t say a word. He turned back to Matthew, no longer feeling the need to protect. He knew that Ludwig would never hurt an omega. However he’d hurt Gilbert emotionally, and as thus, the older alpha had no desire what-so-ever to speak.

“Brother,” started Ludwig and took a deep breath, “I’ve been looking for you for years.”

Gilbert stayed silent, rested his head down beside Matthew once more and tried to take in his omega’s scent. The harsh smell of hospital almost overpowered the sweet scent of his Matthew. 

Ludwig spoke again, “It didn’t take very long for Feliciano and I to see the error in our thinking. We realized that we had never let you tell your side of the story. However by that time you were long gone.”

Gilbert didn’t move his head but snorted derisively.

“When Matthew went missing, Francis approached me first to see if I knew anything about where you’d gone. We worked together to find you,” said Ludwig.

He turned slowly and Gilbert said, low and raspy, “Then you know what he did? That he shot Matthew, forcing my pregnant mate to fall down a flight of steep stairs?”

Ludwig said, “Arthur mentioned Matthew was your mate when I saw him earlier today. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Gilbert laughed but there was not a bit of joy to be found in it’s hollow sound, “Because everybody already believed me to be a child rapist. I knew that would only further people’s belief. The poor adult alpha whose mate is just a child. Has already waited for his soul-mate for ten years and can’t restrain himself any longer.”

Gilbert ranted and paced the room, “So instead of waiting for seven years more to be with his omega, he decides to ruin a life. I mean. You guys all thought I did it before, when you didn’t have a reason or a motive for my actions. That would have just sealed the deal, hmmm?”

Ludwig stepped back when Gilbert had come right up to him and had a finger in his face.

“Brother, not everybody thinks that way,” said Ludwig.

“But let’s face it, you would have, hmm?” scowled Gilbert, arms crossed. 

“I don’t know what I would have thought then. I was caught up in the heat of the moment. Everybody thought you were to blame and I made the mistake of believing them. I also had a newborn child and my alpha hormones were doing most of my thinking for me,” said Ludwig, “But I regret it now and I’ve been told many things by Arthur and Alfred that I didn’t know. I’ve been told about Francis’ decline of mental health.”

Exhaustion came over Gilbert and he hunched his shoulders as he stood in place, “So what do you want?”

“I wanted to see you again and when Arthur told me what happened to your mate, I wanted to be here for you,” said Ludwig, “And to apologize for what I’d done to you.”

Gilbert didn’t want to forgive. He didn’t want to think of what that entailed. 

So he shrugged and said, “Whatever. Just leave me alone.”

Ludwig had opened his mouth to speak, but a shaky voice from behind them both beat him to it, “Gil?”

Over at the bed in a flash, Gilbert picked up Matthew’s hand gently and said, “I’m here.”

“W-What happened?” croaked Matthew.

Ludwig was standing in place, Gilbert ignored his presence.

“You were shot in the leg. The doctor got the bullet out. You also fell down a flight of stairs. You were asleep for three days,” said Gilbert and met his omega’s eyes.

Matthew’s gaze began to clear more and more, “Oh, it was Pa-Francis, wasn’t it?”

Gilbert nodded and used his free hand to pet the greasy locks of Matthew’s unwashed hair. His own wasn’t much better.

Matthew gasped and placed a hand on his stomach, “Alfred had said he smelled my pregnancy. Is it true?”

A slower nod from Gilbert that time and the alpha averted his gaze.

“W-what?” whispered Matthew.

“I, uh-” started Gilbert, rested his head on Matthew’s shoulder and said, “You’ve been bleeding. The doctors are trying to save the pregnancy but it’s all up to fate right now.”

Matthew choked and leaned his cheek against Gilbert’s head, “I’ve known for such a small amount of time, but I already so very much don’t want to lose this baby.”

He heard the distress in his soul mate’s voice, Gilbert looked up and put his hands on either side of Matthew’s face, “Everything will be okay. We’ll get through this, no matter what happens.”

Matthew nodded but his eyes shone with unshod tears, “Please don’t leave me.”

“Never. I will stay with you as long as you'll have me.”

Gilbert pressed a trembling kiss to his omega’s lips and it was returned, chaste and sweet.

#

Matthew fell asleep several more times that day alone. However he never went back into whatever kind of coma that he’d been in. That made the doctors pleased and helped make Gilbert not look like death had rolled over him. 

The alpha refused to leave but had eaten. Elizabeta had tattled on the man and told Matthew that Gilbert hadn’t been eating. Matthew rectified that right away. He’d also forced the alpha to go to the bathrooms that the hospital had on site for alphas to go to shower, since they generally refused to leave their mates. 

The other new thing that Matthew noticed was Ludwig.

The tall alpha and younger brother to Gilbert came to the hospital faithfully to be with Gilbert and help out. At first Gilbert had tried to ignore the taller man. Then he’d outright tried to get him to leave them alone. However Gilbert never outright had his younger brother banned from the room as he’d apparently done to Arthur and Alfred. So that was a start, Matthew supposed. 

Ludwig did seem to be genuinely repentant for his previous actions towards his only living family member. 

Eventually Matthew was sent home. He had a cane to help him walk and he hadn’t been bleeding any more either. 

An ultrasound machine had been rolled in. They wouldn’t yet be able to hear a heartbeat, but the technician pointed out where they could see the tiny heart beating.

Their baby was alive! 

Both of them had burst into relieved tears, though Gilbert tried to deny such an action later. 

As soon as they got to the door of their apartment, Gilbert stopped Matthew.

“What?” asked Matthew and wondered if something was wrong. 

Gilbert swiftly swept the omega off of his feet, Matthew giving an undignified squeak of surprise. Gilbert laughed and kissed his cheek before he carried the omega passed the door and into their home.

“What was that for?” asked Matthew once he’d been deposited gently onto the couch.

“I wanted to carry you past the threshold,” said Gilbert.

Matthew blushed and said, “You’re supposed to do that when you get married. Not coming home from the hospital.”

“Psshhh,” Gilbert waved his hand, “After everything we’ve gone through, I’ll do what I want. Screw the rules.”

Matthew smiled and tucked his uninjured leg up under his chin, his other leg rested on the coffee table in front of him.

“Have I told you that I love you?” said Matthew.

Grinning ear to ear, Gilbert said, “Nope and you know what?”

“What?”

“I love you too!”


	7. Chapter 7

Epilogue

The shrill cry of a baby filled the large living room, followed by the small voice of a little girl who chanted, “Daddy? Daddy? Daddy?”

Matthew looked down at his five year old daughter as he rocked his two month old son in his arms, “Yes Mina?”

“Where’d Vati go?”

”I know I told you that already pumpkin,” said Matthew and put the bottle nipple in Frederick’s mouth.

“I forgot,” shrugged the pale haired girl with the most adorable grin.

“He went to pick up your Uncle Ludwig from the airport,” said Matthew and poked his daughter’s little button nose. 

The relationship between the brothers had never been the same. Gilbert had, to a certain degree, forgiven his sibling. To forget, however, was an entirely separate matter. Gilbert once told Matthew that he and Ludwig used to tell each other everything when they were growing up. They’d been best friends. Now, when Ludwig called to speak to Gilbert, their conversation was mostly small talk. Ludwig never stopped trying.

There was a knock on the door and then Eliza’s voice, “It’s us.”

“Come on in,” said Matthew.

Elizabeta and Roderich came in, a cake in the omega’s hands.

Mina perked up at once and bounded over to dance between their legs, “Is that my cake Aunt Lizzy?”

She laughed and scooped up the small girl, Elizabeta spun them around, “That is your cake. Uncle Roderich baked it all by himself.”

“Yay!” cheered the girl and put her hands up in the air when Elizabeta set her back down, “Uncle Roddy makes the best cakes.”

Roderich rolled his eyes, “I really wish Gilbert hadn’t taught her that nickname.”

Matthew just laughed and set the bottle aside when the baby began to fall asleep, milk dribbled down his cheek. He wiped it up, slung a burp blanket over his shoulder and rested the baby on his chest and made sure his head was on the blanket. Matthew patted his back gently. 

Elizabeta sat beside Matthew on the couch and asked, “So if you don’t mind me asking, how is your father? Gilbert told me that you saw him the other day.”

Matthew hummed thoughtfully and said, “He’s been doing much better. His mental health has improved enough so that he is on a ward with other patients and doesn’t need at same level of supervision as he once did.”

Francis hadn’t been sent to jail because he was deemed too mentally unstable to understand the actions that he’d taken. It helped that both Arthur and Matthew had backed that up. Francis had needed help, that was certain. However he wasn’t a criminal. He was just hurt, mentally, and probably had been that way since Matthew was a small child. It probably stemmed from losing his mate.

Gilbert still wouldn’t talk to Francis, or even mention the man by name. Matthew more than understood that. Personally, Matthew was still cautious of Francis. However his father had finally begun to understand the error of his ways. He had seen that Gilbert wasn’t the monster that he’d made him out to be. 

It helped that Matthew’s rapist had finally been caught. A home had been swarmed by the cops. What they’d found was sickening, but provided more than enough proof that he’d raped Matthew. Photographs. Lots of them. And of many other victims over the country. 

The news had been a relief to Matthew, who had always wondered what had happened to his attacker. 

Matthew was brought out of his thoughts by Elizabeta, who said, “I’m glad to hear it. It’s very generous of you to keep seeing your father after everything he’d done.”

With a shrug, Matthew said, “I’m more prone to consider it as me being a pushover.”

Gilbert spoke loudly and filled the room with his presence, “No you’re not a pushover. What are you talking about anyway?”

Matthew laughed. He loved his alpha. How had Matthew not heard him enter anyway?

“My father.”

“Oh, that asshole,” said Gilbert and turned to avoid the subject further, “Get in here Ludwig before you miss all the fun.”

Gilbert sat beside Matthew and took the baby off of his chest to bundle him into a blanket. The alpha held the infant so gently and looked down with such adoration that Matthew couldn’t help but nuzzle closer. Mina, who knew to not move fast around the baby, crept up and tapped Gilbert’s knee.

“Vati!” she said, big violet eyes fixed on both parents, “Can we do presents now?”

Gilbert shook his head, “Not until Uncle Alfred and Arthur get here.”

He’d forgiven the two of them as well, easy, since they hadn’t done much. They had mainly been guilty of not doing anything to stop Francis. 

Besides, Matthew really felt for Arthur. The man had lost his soul mate at a young age, re-mated to Francis, only to have the man turn on him. Arthur was a strong omega, however, and pulled through and was more than happy to have many grandchildren to spoil. He didn’t mind that Mina didn’t refer to him as ‘Grandpa’.

Mina, nonplussed, just turned on her heel and trotted over to Uncle Ludwig. Probably to wheedle gifts or candies out of the tall blond alpha. 

Gilbert chuckled and got up to put Frederick into his portable bassinet that was set up near the edge of the room. Then he looked around the room and saw Ludwig distracted with Mina. Elizabeta was trying to swat Roderich’s hands away from fussing with the cake. 

Gilbert made his move. 

He jogged over to Matthew and grabbed his hand to tug him to his feet. When Matthew was about to open his mouth to speak, a finger rested over his lips with a hushed, “Sh!”

The couple sneaked from the room and up the stairs to their room. Gilbert grinned and shut the door behind him.

“What’s going on-” started Matthew but couldn’t finish his words as a pair of slightly chapped lips fell upon his own. 

They both moaned and pressed against each other, arms tangled around the other’s body. To find time when you had an energetic five year old and a small baby was hard. They took any time to cuddle that they could get. 

Gilbert pulled away with a gasp and allowed his smoldering red eyes to meet Matthew’s own violet, “I missed you.”

“You were gone for a hour and a half,” said Matthew and pressed a light kiss on Gilbert’s chest over his heart. 

“An hour and a half too long,” the alpha protested, “How did I ever live without you?”

“In a dusty apartment and eating only fast food,” said Matthew and kissed the pale man’s cheek, “You have a much better diet now.”

Again, with the narrowed bedroom eyes, Gilbert purred, “Yes, yes I do.”

Matthew giggled as he was gently tossed onto their bed. 

They stayed there even when their names were called. Just being close to one another.


End file.
